Finding Safe Harbor
by FallinDeath
Summary: Reyes Vidal/Scott Ryder: Scott becomes pathfinder after his father's death. He struggles to remain the man he knows himself to be even as a certain smuggler tries to steal his heart. Scott's past relationship trips him up every step of the way. Is it possible to save everyone, keep his conscience clear, and give in and love Reyes Vidal at the same time?
1. Chapter 1

Title: Finding Safe Harbor  
Rating: Adult, eventually  
Fandom: Mass Effect: Andromeda  
Warnings: m/m  
Pairings: Scott Ryder/Reyes Vidal  
Disclaimer: **I do not own any of these characters. The places are fictional. I do not profit in any way.**  
Summary: Scott becomes pathfinder after his father's death and struggles to remain the man he knows himself to be when a certain smuggler tries to steal his heart. Can he have both?  
Author's note: **There will be SPOILERS**. This story is going to be told in snippets as Scott progresses through his relationship with Reyes. I don't need to write the whole story of MEA. Anyone who has played it, knows it well. This is my custom Scott Ryder's story. For pictures, as always, head to my LiveJournal page: Enjoy!

Chapter One

Scott was lying on the bed in his room aboard the Tempest watching the cosmos soar by overhead as he idly flipped a guitar pick between his nimble fingers. His hand-crafted acoustic sat in a stand next to the bed, one of the few things he'd brought with him from home in the Milky Way. He'd been playing his guitar for hours trying to think about anything but the thoughts that plagued him.

"Landing in Kadara Port in seven hours, pathfinder," Kallo's voice came over the comm.

Scott released a heavy sigh, squeezing his tired eyes shut for a moment. They were meeting someone named Shena at the behest of the Angaran Resistance leader, Evfra. It was a long journey, one that interrupted other important missions, but relations with the Angara needed to improve. That Scott saved the moshae, a revered and greatly loved teacher and leader of the Angarans, from the Kett and released hundreds of prisoners from the Kett facility while killing a crucial enemy figurehead, had certainly helped. But the Angarans kept demanding more proof that the Initiative was sincere and peaceful in their intentions, and Tann kept telling him to do what he had to to improve relations. So, Scott went wherever he was told to. For now.

"Thank you, Kallo," he said. He dropped the guitar pick onto the pillow next to his head and lifted his left hand. He stared at the thick-banded obsidian ring on his finger for a long time. He barely heard when Vetra and Drack chimed in on the comm a reminder about the contact they were meeting in the port. His mind was on...so many other things. A deal made with an exile for stolen parts from the Nexus wasn't even near the top of the list of things he was concerned about.

Andromeda was not what they were told it would be. That was putting it lightly. A new galaxy far away from home, a place for a new start, for new discovery. A chance for new adventure into the completely unknown. To build from the ground up a new civilization, a new society, a new life. A hope to meet new civilizations, to share knowledge and experience and grow stronger together. The Andromeda Initiative had promised great and unbelievable things. What Scott found upon waking nearly 600 years later was a bunch of "golden worlds" turned completely inviable, the Nexus, supposedly the hub of their new civilization, in a damaged and stagnant state of post rebellion and quarrelling leaders at constant unease with each other and incapable of making decisions. People had died in the uprising. There were no home worlds to settle, and no way to replenish dwindling resources, no way to bring more people out of cryo sleep, and no sign of the four trained Pathfinders whose job it was to find viable locations for outposts so the Initiative could start growing, start living. In all honesty Scott couldn't blame those who had rebelled against the leaders who had no answers. He sometimes wondered, if he hadn't been on Hyperion as part of the human Pathfinder's team, would he have joined the uprising? Or would he have done what was right? What scared him was that he was uncertain what that was.

On top of all that, as if it was not enough, the only aliens found so far were the dangerous and extremely hostile Kett, and the wary, distrusting Angara who made Scott's every decision difficult because of their unwillingness to aid or trust the Milky Way galaxy newcomers. He couldn't blame them either since the last newcomers had been the kett who were only interested in either killing or enslaving the Angara.

So, yes, he understood but it was frustrating as hell.

He wished his sister was here at his side. Every day he wished it. But the scourge that plagued much of the Heleus cluster had damaged the Hyperion and interrupted Sara's revival procedure. She was in a coma now, unreachable. Dr. Harry Carlyle's assurances that she would be perfectly fine didn't make him feel better whenever he turned to his side, expecting and hoping to see her look of approval, her ready smile, or, when he needed, her pillar of support for the hard decisions. He missed her with an ache that hurt as if she really were gone. He and Sara had been inseparable in the womb and then in the world until they were old enough to leave home and seek their own adventures. They had always faced it together. Sara knew what was wrong and how to help him often before Scott even knew something was off and vice versa. People often said such bonds were normal for twins, but Scott couldn't help but feel that what he had with Sara was far more significant than _normal_.

And he'd lied to her.

Scott's stomach twisted into knots thinking about it. SAM discovered a way to allow Scott to speak with Sara for a brief time while she was comatose by establishing a link with her implant. Both Ryder and Dr. Carlyle never knew such a thing could be possible. It was incredible to have that connection, that familiar solidarity in all this chaotic uncertainty. Life was just beginning to brighten again with Sara there to speak with when she'd asked. He should have expected it, but it still caught him off guard when she asked so very casually, "How's dad? Where is he?"

Scott's heart had crumbled. The walls he'd set in place to block out the pain until he had a moment to breathe, a moment to properly come to terms with the events on Habitat 7, unraveled in an instant leaving him feeling raw and vulnerable.

"Dad's...away on a mission right now, but he's worried about you, and," he added with great difficulty, "he loves you." He didn't know why. He knew he shouldn't have. He'd never lied to Sara in his life, but in that instant he just couldn't tell her the truth. _Dad is dead. He gave his life to save mine._ Even now, months later and entire solar systems away, those words were too hard to say out loud and so he'd lied.

"Scott."

SAM's monotone, yet somehow comforting voice was in his head. Scott wiped a tear from his cheek.

"Yeah, SAM."

"You are distressed."

Scott smiled half-heartedly. The AI was fully embracing "his" mission to better understand all things human, emotion being the largest stepping stone of such an endeavor. First step was identifying said emotions, which admittedly, SAM was very good at. SAM's ability to feel through his bond with Scott made a true human understanding for SAM and possibly future AI's a real possibility. A symbiotic bond, mutual in benefit for both the individual and the AI, was his father's work. It was a concept that many feared and distrusted due to failure between the Quarians and their geth. However, Alec Ryder's work had been embraced by the Initiative, seen as a necessary means for an advantage in the new galaxy. Scott, for one, would be forever grateful. If it were not for SAM, half if not all he'd managed to accomplish would not have been possible. At the very least, the timetable would have been significantly extended. SAM turned surveying tasks that could take years or lifetimes into mere hours or minutes, and that only scratched the surface of his capabilities.

"Yeah, I guess I am," Scott said, sitting up and swinging his legs over the side of the bed.

"You have not been sleeping enough to perform at optimal capacity."

"Sorry, SAM. That's the way life is a lot of the time," Scott rubbed his eyes trying to relieve the heaviness in his eyelids. "When your mind is troubled or your heart hurts, it is difficult to sleep."

There was a pause as SAM contemplated this information.

"Thank you for that clarification. I can help you, pathfinder. As I've told you before, your father removed the restrictions blocking me from access to your physiology. I can relax your body and quiet your mind so you can sleep until we reach Kadara. With your consent, of course."

"That...sounds fantastic, SAM," Scott breathed. He had nothing to prepare for the meeting with Shena so the time before their arrival was time he would have to agonize over things he couldn't do anything about. Scott laid back down on his stomach and clutched his cool pillow to his face. "I'm in your hands, SAM."

"Your trust is appreciated and not misplaced," SAM informed him.

Scott had no words for what happened next, a deep tissue massage to the hundredth degree. It was painful as every muscle in his body loosened fiber by fiber releasing tension and pent up toxins that SAM eradicated. But as the strange sensation worked its way from his toes to his head Scott began to feel like a brand new person.

"Fuck, SAM," Scott groaned.

"Am I hurting you, Scott?"

"No, I'm just wondering where you've been all my life."

"Until your father created me, I did not exist."

Scott chuckled softly, already feeling sleep coming on hard.

Somewhere in the heavenly haze right before unconsciousness took him Scott mumbled, "Thank you, SAM."

"You are most welcome."

~~ . ~~

Reyes Vidal stood in front of the mirror in his Kadara apartment ensuring every hair was in place. He was meeting the human pathfinder today. He smirked at his reflection thinking about the handsome young man. Reyes had gotten a hold of any and all news vids and broadcasts from the Nexus. Such a task was easy for the leader of a smuggling ring. There wasn't a thing out there that Reyes couldn't get his hands on. He had watched the interviews of Keri T'Vessa speaking with the man named Scott Ryder several times. He told himself he was simply familiarizing himself with Scott as he would with anyone he would be working with, whether that person be an associate, a client, or a mark. Reyes' position required him to always be a step ahead of everyone and that was no small task.

But there was more to it than that, a small voice kept telling him. Scott was honest, strong, and too good of a person for his own good. He seemed to sincerely care about everyone he crossed paths with. Something Reyes had never felt so inclined to concern himself with. Life on Kadara had changed him, often in ways he did not particularly like, but even so he'd never been quite as straight and narrow as Scott Ryder appeared to be. Aside from the excitement and intrigue of meeting the only known pathfinder to have survived the journey from the Milky Way, Scott was a sexy thing. Reyes knew that working with the beautiful man would be no hardship at all.

Reyes checked his appearance again. He was not nervous. Nothing and no one made him nervous. He was the Charlatan. So why was his stomach clenching in unhappy ways?

~~ . ~~

Scott stood on the ramp leading off the Tempest taking in the sight and sounds of the port. He never felt so rested and energized since even before his six hundred year nap. He found himself eager to start helping people, filling his time with things he could fix. Not three steps into the docking bay and Drack and Vetra practically laughed in glee as they said their farewells and stalked off to meet their contact. Scott smiled after them. It was amusing seeing the crotchety old krogan and the often too serious turian practically giggling like children over their own clever, devious shenanigans. The others scattered as well, relieved for some shore leave even though Kadara Port was a dangerous, outlaw-run stink hole. But they all promised they would not be far away if anything went badly at the meeting with Shena. So, for the first time since becoming the pathfinder, Scott was left to his own devices.

 _I am always here, pathfinder_ , SAM chimed over their private channel.

Scott smiled. _Of course, SAM. Thank you._

Scott knew it would probably be best and safest if he went straight to Kralla's Song to wait for Shena, but he couldn't resist stopping and talking to people. These were his people after all, and it was a terrible thing that they had been exiled, presumably to their deaths, after the uprising on the Nexus. That any of them still lived, no matter what they had to do to achieve that was something that shouldn't just be ignored. Although, Director Tann would prefer it that way. As Scott saw it, the Initiative had failed these people, and though Scott was only one man he knew he had the power to make change happen. Even if that meant earning back trust one person at a time.

As Scott neared the entrance of the bar his ears perked up at the sound of an angry commotion. He heard someone begging and then the unmistakable sound of someone receiving a vicious and sound beating. When Scott rounded the corner he was met with a crowd of people just standing around and watching. At the center were two people with guns, one a human woman and the other a turian male. Kadara Port was supposed to be a weapon free zone. Except, apparently, for those who perceived themselves to be in power. The turian was beating a human senseless and the woman simply glared at the bystanders. A few of them yelled protest, but not a single one dared to make a move against the situation. No one was going to do a damn thing to aid the poor man if he were beaten to death before their eyes.

Acting on instinct Scott pushed through to the front.

"What the hell is going on here?" he demanded.

"Get back in line," the woman turned her weapon on him. "Outcast business. You'll shut the fuck up if you know what's good for you."

 _Ryder, we cannot meet with the Resistance contact if we get kicked out of the port_ , SAM said over their private channel.

Scott ignored him, fixed the woman with an intense glare. Challenging her, daring her to put her money where her mouth was.

"I don't care what he did," Scott growled. "You arrest him or you let him go. This is barbaric," he pointed at the cringing man, "and I will not allow it." The turian had stopped, everyone in that corner of the market had frozen, all waiting to see how this bizarre scene played out.

An ugly expression came over the woman's face. "Nexus scum," she snarled. "Should have known. You're the only ones arrogant enough to think you can come here and start barking orders." She started to raise her weapon but Scott was quicker. He disarmed her and flipped the assault rifle around to point it at her in a move that was faster than the eye could adequately follow. Out of the corner of his eye Scott saw the turian reach for his weapon.

" _Don't_ ," Scott roared, his eyes never leaving the woman. The turian slowly lifted his empty hands in a show of surrender. Scott had no intention of shooting the woman. He didn't come to Kadara Port to make enemies. He wanted someday to welcome them all back into the fold of the Initiative. But he would not back down from this either. He made that clear in his unblinking stare. He watched a myriad of emotions play over her face from humiliation and fear to anger. Finally, she backed away and the turian went with her. Scott understood from that moment that whomever ruled the port counted on intimidation and violence to get their way, and obviously didn't know how to handle a situation in which they could do neither. Scott had no respect for such a person.

Once the duo were gone blue-white energy sizzled around Scott's arms as he used the strength of his biotics to snap the weapon in two. Tossing the pieces to the ground Scott looked over his shoulder intending to help the beaten man to his feet, but he was long gone. Everyone else in the market returned to their business pretending they hadn't seen anything. However, Scott could have sworn he saw a few smirks. It was good to know that not everyone liked this Outcast group and were not so afraid that they hid their displeasure-even though they didn't act against them. Maybe there was hope to turn things around here.

 _That may not have been the best course of action, pathfinder_ , SAM said privately.

Scott sighed. "Whatever comes of this I will handle it. But I couldn't let that continue."

 _Will this not hurt the chances of building an outpost?_

Scott continued on to the bar. "It might, but if I hadn't helped that man no one would have. They're all too afraid. The situation here mirrors a tyrant's dictatorship, and in human history, that has never been a good thing."

There was a pause as SAM contemplated.

"I think I understand, pathfinder," he said.

~~ . ~~

Reyes watched the human pathfinder's every step through the port from the upper levels. He knew the young man was sexy but nothing prepared him for the pleasure of seeing Scott Ryder in the flesh. He watched the young man speaking with exiles and local angara alike, watched him cheer them up, encourage and assist, or offer to assist in even trivial matters as if he couldn't help himself. Reyes suspected that he couldn't. The kindness in Ryder's heart was inherent, something that could not be faked by even a charlatanish pro like Reyes. A rare characteristic these days that the smuggler found strangely endearing.

However, when the pathfinder involved himself with an Outcast affair Reyes watched with great interest, and a little aroused if he were honest. Scott didn't care who the people were and he didn't take shit from any of them. Such a move was going to make him a great deal of dangerous enemies. All the more reason to win the pathfinder over. They could help each other get what they needed...maybe even a few things they wanted. When Scott disappeared into Kralla's Song, Reyes pointedly waited to join him. Being late was unprofessional and not trusted in his line of work, but he could not resist making the pathfinder wait just a few minutes, keep the young man on his toes.

Upon entering Reyes nonchalantly looked around the bar. Many of the patrons were members of his organization, undercover and otherwise like the salarian recruiter. The Charlatan had sent out orders for guards to be stationed at the bar. All they knew was that an important meeting was taking place with the pathfinder, one that could potentially benefit the Collective and the Charlatan wished it to conclude without disruption.

Scott was easy to spot leaning against one side of the bar near the big open window. The white Nexus uniform made the beautiful young man a beacon in the dim light-almost ethereal-too clean and pure for the ugliness and filth of Kadara Port. Reyes would have been content to simply take in the view, however a drunk krogan refusing to pay his tab jostled him from his musings. Since the pathfinder was distracted watching Umi, the asari bartender, threaten the krogan, Reyes found it the perfect opportunity to make his entrance.

"You look like you're waiting for someone," he said, approaching with as much charm as he could muster.

The pathfinder turned and Reyes took delight in the brief look of surprise on the other's face. Reyes glanced at Umi, held up two fingers and the bartender slammed two cups down on the counter. Reyes took one and offered the other to Scott, looking him in the eye up close for the first time.

 _Holy shit_. Reyes was hardly prepared for the weight of being pinned by that intense gaze. The pathfinder's eyes were stunning, vibrant and honest, but in their endless depths he could see secrets and mysteries that Reyes suddenly wanted to unravel. The crackly vids he'd watched had done them no justice at all. The pathfinder had a reddish mesh burn scar over his left eye. It was an old injury, more of a discoloration now, but Reyes could not help but feel an amount of remorse that whatever accident caused the discoloration had almost marred the loveliness of those eyes. The colors reminded Reyes of the beautiful yet deadly waters of Kadara; blues, sea greens, and aquas nestled among sandy beaches. He'd heard that those with biotics sometimes developed unusual, multi-colored irises due to their amount of exposure to eezo while in utero. Reyes had looked into Alec Ryder's past, of course, but he'd only briefly examined Ellen Ryder. He thought he remembered that she was a key designer for implants to enhance biotic abilities. If she were pregnant during her research it was no wonder Scott was as powerful as the reports said.

Scott looked him up and down before taking the offered cup. He must have liked what he saw because a small smile appeared as they clinked their cups together and drank. That's when Reyes noticed a black ring on Scott's left hand. Strange. There was no record of the young man being married. None that Reyes had found, and if he couldn't find it, it likely didn't exist. Something to think about later.

"Shena," Reyes offered his hand and Scott took it firmly. "But you can call me Reyes. I hate code names."

"I was expecting someone more...angaran," Scott turned to lean on the bar. He cocked an eyebrow as he looked back at Reyes. "And perhaps female."

Reyes laughed and was rewarded with a handsome smirk.

"Well," Reyes chuckled again. "No, and no. Disappointed?"

"Hardly. I know better than to make assumptions in Andromeda."

Reyes nodded once his agreement. "The Resistance pays me to supply information-" he cocked his head to the side "-among other things."

"A smuggler."

Reyes waited for the judgment to follow. When it didn't come he smiled and motioned for the pathfinder to follow him. He lead him over to the window where Scott casually leaned on one elbow on the half wall facing him.

"Your man, Vehn Terev, was arrested by the leader of the Outcasts, a woman named Sloane Kelly. Word spread about what he did to Moshae Sjefa." Reyes shook his head as if what he had to say next was difficult. "The people are calling for his execution, and Sloane...she's a woman of the people."

They turned to lean both elbows on the half wall, looking out over the port.

Scott scoffed picking up on his subtle sarcasm. "That's not what I've seen. This Sloane terrorizes her people to keep them in line. She's a criminal, nothing more."

Reyes tried to hide his surprised smile as he scooted closer, disguising the move as a simple shifting of his feet.

"You work for the Initiative. Sloane was part of the uprising on the Nexus. I doubt she'll give Vehn up easily." Reyes watched Ryder carefully to see how he'd answer to that. Scott watched the people down below.

"Well," Scott looked Reyes in the eye. "I'm taking him. With or without her permission."

Reyes leaned in close as if he were sharing a secret.

"We're going to be friends you and I." He shifted again and felt a thrill of excitement shoot through him as their shoulders rubbed together. Reyes made the mistake of inhaling and Scott's scent filled his lungs. Mostly a standard soap scent, but there was an intoxicating hint of vanilla and cinnamon. "There might be another way to get to Vehn," Reyes pressed on. There was an important purpose to this meeting, after all. "You work Sloane, I'll talk to the Resistance."

He shot Scott a small grin then turned to leave. As he sauntered away he heard Scott speak up.

"How do I contact you if things go south?"

Reyes turned, gave the beautiful young man one last look and winked. Before he turned away again he saw Scott frown.

 _Keep walking, Vidal_ , he told himself. _If you don't you'll shove him against the nearest wall and fuck that cool, composure out of him_. He let out a heavy breath. The sacrifices he made for Kadara Port.

~~ . ~~

Scott left Kralla's Song feeling strangely about his meeting with Reyes Vidal. SAM had provided the last name from what was left of the Nexus' records on the man. Not just because the bastard had left him to pick up the bill. There was a feeling about him, not entirely trustworthy but not entirely malicious either. People like that could be the most dangerous. It was easy to face cold-hearted criminals, to meet them with equally brutal force if need be. But people like Mr. Vidal were unpredictable. They tended to win trust so they could exploit it or discard it when convenient. Scott had known a few people like that in the Milky Way. He knew what to watch for and Reyes had subconsciously displayed several very subtle warning signs.

Scott had fallen for it before against his better judgement. He really didn't want to go through that again. Reyes was handsome, charming, dangerous, and Scott had had trouble breathing normally throughout their entire conversation.

 _Your heartbeat is elevated, pathfinder_ , SAM interjected on their private channel. _You seem shaken by your meeting with Mr. Vidal_.

Scott turned the obsidian ring on his left hand. Despite it all he couldn't bring himself to take it off.

"It's nothing," he said at last. "Let's go meet with this Sloane character. Even though I'm pretty certain we're only going to end up pissing each other off."

~~ . ~~

Scott couldn't help but laugh as the very large krogan guards pushed him forcefully out Sloane Kelly's front door. His meeting with the deranged, self-appointed leader of Kadara went about as well as this whole fucked up trip to a new galaxy. He could have kept his manners in check. He could have. He had the years of training and discipline to ensure his behavior could be at its best. But all notions of playing nice had flown right out the window the moment he saw Kelly sitting on her throne. The sight and its implications was too ridiculous. He thinks he laughed, but he had a great many sarcastic one liners on the tip of his tongue, too, so he wasn't certain what exactly escaped his lips. It all went downhill from there. His sardonic tongue ran away with him. Sloane was a fucking joke. He knew he would never be able reason with her.

One of the krogan guards growled at him because he was still standing there, smiling. Apparently they didn't like that. He started walking back toward the market. He was probably lucky Sloane didn't call for his execution right then and there. But at least she was smart enough to understand that would have meant war with the Nexus.

"That did not go well, pathfinder."

Scott laughed again even harder. "I'm sorry, SAM. This is all on me. I should have behaved myself."

"I take it things did not go well with Sloane," an amused, accented voice filtered into his ear. Scott turned and there was Reyes all sneaky and charming smiles.

Scott smiled brightly, unable to stop. He really could not get over it. "No, they did not. I may have laughed at her throne."

Reyes' face lit up for a split second in a true smile, one not forced and shadowed by false intent. It was only a moment, but Scott felt his heart skip a beat.

"You also mocked her entire organization, and bowed when she kicked you out, pathfinder," SAM put in his two cents on the public channel.

"You didn't," Reyes said.

"You also called her 'your highness'," SAM concluded.

Reyes laughed while Scott mumbled, "thanks, SAM."

Reyes crossed his arms over his chest appraising Scott with his golden eyes. "Lucky for you then I found a workaround."

Scott smirked at the smuggler. "Strings attached?"

"Of course, but not any new ones. Remember, Evfra wants Vehn alive so when you get inside give him this." Reyes handed him a small device. "That will eat through anything Sloane is keeping him in and can't be traced back to us." Reyes stepped back. "A Resistance agent will be waiting to pick him up."

Scott frowned. "Sounds risky, all this for a traitor. His intel better be worth it."

"You'll be a better judge of that than me," Reyes said, pulling up his omni-tool and typing quickly. Scott only half listened as Reyes talked about a maintenance shaft and an access code. He watched the man's facial expressions, his body language. Decided he was being honest.

 _Mr. Vidal is physically attracted to you, pathfinder_ , SAM said over their private channel.

Scott had a _really_ hard time covering any reaction to that. It suddenly felt much hotter. He was going to have to talk to SAM about the content of these private conversations in front of other people. But there was no time now. Reyes had sent him the information and was now staring at him.

"There's still the matter of the bill you left me with," Scott said. _What?!_

Reyes smiled at him, a mischievous glint in his eyes. "I'm usually a _model_ gentleman."

Scott couldn't help smiling back, completely drawn in despite his better judgement.

"Why don't I believe you?" he said.

Reyes laughed.

"Because I'm lying." He looked Scott up and down. "Meet me at Tartarus when you're done. First round's on me, I promise."

Before walking away to disappear in the crowd, Reyes gave him one last look that turned Scott's knees to jelly. It was full of promise and the intent was clear. Blood instantly pooled in his groin and Scott turned to the wall to get his flush under control. He closed his eyes, concentrating on taking deep breaths.

"That man's dangerous," Scott whispered.

"I do not believe Mr. Vidal intends you physical harm, pathfinder."

Scott opened his eyes with a deep breath. "That's not what I'm worried about, SAM."

~~ . ~~

It was not difficult to learn where Tartarus was located in the slums. Scott was a little surprised that someone like Reyes would not prefer whatever qualified as richer surroundings in Kadara. Usually people like him valued the pampered life, or at least the convenience of such a lifestyle. Scott couldn't help but respect the man's conscious decision to support humbler surroundings.

Scott had met with Vehn easily thanks to Reyes' maintenance shaft and had delivered the means for escape. He didn't wait around. His business with the traitor who had willingly worked with _kett_ was over as far as he was concerned. He'd spent the better part of an hour trying to decide if he would meet up with Reyes. He had the time. His crew were still conducting business and Scott had several missions he wanted to look into, which would keep them here for a time. He knew what accepting the invitation would entail. He was a fool for falling for Reyes' charm. He thought he'd decided in Kralla's Song that he would keep his dealings with the man to the barest required minimum. But Scott was curious. More than that, but that is what he told himself. Reyes was not the only one to express interest. Thus far, Scott had been able to resist any entanglements, but damn Vidal, there was something about him that was drawing Scott in.

Speaking with the owner of the establishment, Kien, he learned that Vidal had a private room on the second floor. Scott went straight there with tunnel vision, ignoring some grasping hands from employees and patrons alike, ignoring the half naked dancers in the cages. Now he understood Reyes' choice of hang out.

There were a few rooms on the second level but Scott didn't dare glance beyond the curtains over the entrances. Instead he moved straight to the only room with a door. It opened into a lounge with a few pieces of furniture, the most prominent being the large sectional couch in the back corner where Reyes sat.

"Tell her to call back later," Reyes was saying into his omni-tool. He looked up with surprise. "Ryder," he smiled. "I did not think you would take me up on my invitation."

Scott managed a half smile. "Surprised?" he asked. There was a sultry look in those golden eyes when Reyes regarded him.

"Pleased," Reyes said.

The word seduced a flush deep in Scott's belly. He swallowed.

Then Reyes was on his feet, closing the distance. With a hand to Scott's chest he guided him back a few steps until his back pressed into the closed door. Scott's heart raced, his breathing became shallow with the mere presence of the other man, the intensity in his eyes. Reyes' mouth pressed to Scott's neck just below his ear and Scott gasped sharply.

"Your scent is intoxicating, pathfinder," Reyes practically purred, kissing his throat and up along his jawline. Just before that tantalizing mouth reached his lips Scott had a moment of panic. He turned his head away and pressed against Reyes' chest with his palm. It was a weak pressure but to his surprise Reyes honored it and stepped back.

"I'm sorry, Reyes," Scott said, the sound of his voice fell flat over the sound of rushing blood in his ears. It felt like he was moving in slow motion as he pressed the release for the door and walked out.

He was in the lift leading back to the top of the mountain and the port before he could properly breathe again and the panic began to subside. He absent-mindedly twisted the obsidian ring on his finger with his thumb. It was stupid of him to try to get mixed up with Reyes. He knew that. And it was too soon. It had been over six hundred years in reality, but not to him. He'd gone into cryo with it fresh and raw, and aching, then went straight to Habitat 7 with his father as pathfinder upon waking. There his father died for him, technically so had Scott-clinically dead for twenty-two seconds-before Dr. Carlyle and Lexi managed to hardwire him with SAM in SAM Node. The connection nearly killed him again. To keep him alive SAM had to integrate with him in a way that the doctors did not fully understand. He was barely recovering before the Nexus practically pushed him out the airlock to go to Eos and solve problems they had not been able to solve themselves in almost a year and a half. _Kill all the kett, fix the whole planet, make it viable or we will all die._

No time to process, to grieve, to heal. No one to care what he was going through, only what he could accomplish, and it was still not enough. It was crazy to want someone to share any of this chaos with, especially crazy to have entertained the thought-however briefly-of Reyes being that person. He just wanted to sleep and hide away. He wanted his father back making all the decisions, barking the orders so Scott could fall in line making sure he did _his_ job in the grand scheme of things. But now, he _was_ the scheme. He was it, and Reyes...was not someone to be there when he needed. There was no way Reyes was a safe harbor for his heart. Scott doubted there was one. And SAM, SAM was silent for the first time.


	2. Chapter 2

Reyes lay on the couch in his private room at Tartarus. His right leg bent at the knee and the other draped over the side, foot on the floor. With his head cushioned on his arm and his eyes closed he played the scene over and over in his head. The sight and scent of Scott had been overwhelming even though it was over in an instant.

Reyes licked his bottom lip subconsciously, remembering the clean, sweet taste of sun-kissed flesh. He'd sought out the source of the vanilla and cinnamon, but it had eluded him, skipping away from his tongue just out of reach. He could still feel the heated touch of the young man in the tips of his fingers, could hear the halted breath tickling the shell of his ear.

" _Shit_ ," Reyes hissed, when his body flushed with arousal. He reached down and adjusted himself with a firm hand, willing the budding erection away. He was not angry that Scott left. Far from it. Reyes did not wish to have an unwilling partner, there was no pleasure in that. Was he disappointed? Absolutely. But that was not what plagued his mind now. He knew the young man had been equally interested. Reyes hadn't imagined the mutual attraction, and he certainly hadn't imagined Scott's arousal. Though he'd left abruptly, the fact remained that Scott had come in the first place.

That mattered. The pathfinder had come willingly, there was just something holding him back.

Reyes thought about the ring on Scott's finger. It obviously meant something. Though, perhaps, not anymore. The pathfinder had some things to work through-didn't they all?-and Reyes was not always a patient man. But for this one particularly delectable morsel, he had all the patience in the world.

* * *

Back in his room on the Tempest, Scott breathed deeply with his eyes closed as he moved through the last forms of Old Frame Tai Chi. Normally he would prefer the energy of a martial arts routine or a weapons form, but not after today. These particular forms were performed slowly, fluidly transitioning from one to the next and required great concentration and conditioning.

He didn't want to think about today.

He didn't want to think about today. But as he came to rest in the closing form, his knees bent and his curved hands pushing slowly out from his core, an image of Reyes flashed behind his closed eyelids. He frowned. Normally, the discipline of the routine put his mind and body at ease at least for a time but he'd just finished all seventy-four forms- _twice_ -and he could still feel Reyes' mouth on his throat. He kept wondering what it would have been like to kiss the handsome smuggler. But he couldn't do it. Not while his last kiss was so fresh in his memory. Sometimes he could still feel the ghost of that kiss-how it felt to love so deeply, so desperately while at the same time his heart shattered irreparably. In Tartarus with Reyes he had panicked when that beautiful, sinful mouth sought to claim his. He'd thought he wanted to be with the handsome man even for a single night. Perhaps it might dampen the pain, but it was too much to trust anyone, and the thought of a one night stand-it felt wrong, like it would cheapen the memory he treasured. He began twisting the ring on his finger-had to grab his hand with the other to stop himself when he realized what he was doing.

Scott growled in frustration and began pacing the room.

"Pathfinder," SAM spoke up.

"Yeah, SAM," Scott said, still pacing, his frown deepening.

A long pause. "Would you do that again-the forms?"

Scott stopped in his tracks. SAM had made hundreds of inquiries since they integrated, but never had he expressed much interest in feeling the physical side of their bond.

"What?" Scott said. Not sure what to make of this new development.

"The concentration on movement while blocking out all other faculties is quite satisfying," SAM explained. "My system runs millions of processes per millisecond all over the Initiative. However, it was...quiet for a time."

Scott smiled, incredulous. "That's pretty amazing, SAM. I'm glad I could do something to help you for once."

"Thank you, Scott."

"We can go through the forms again later, SAM, I promise. But right now, they're not working for me."

"Due to your physical attraction to Mr. Vidal?"

" _Yes_ , SAM," Scott huffed out a harsh laugh. "That would be part of it." His pacing slowed. He turned and quickly marched out the door. He went straight to the cargo hold. Drack and Gil were on the second level laughing about something, but Scott interrupted.

"Drack! Let's go bash in some skulls," he said, slamming his locker open and pulling out his gear. He heard the Krogan laugh.

"Meditation crap ain't helpin', huh, kid?"

Gil scoffed.

"Shut up," Scott said, as he stripped off his uniform and pulled on the black armor mesh.

Drack leapt over the railing and landed on his feet with a solid thud that echoed through the ship.

"What was that?" Kallo's slightly panicked voice came over the comm.

"Our pathfinder's horny," Gil called out obnoxiously. He and Drack erupted in uproarious laughter.

When Scott returned after his disaster of a rendezvous with Reyes at Tartarus, he found many of his crew waiting for him with smiles and questions on their lips. Apparently, more than one of them had witnessed his conversation with Vidal after meeting with Sloane. Though it was from a distance, and none of them knew what was said, unfortunately they were not blind. He was never going to hear the end of it.

Peebee appeared as if from no where. "Whatever's going on, I'm in!"

"We're gonna go shoot stuff," Drack chuckled, hefting his shotgun over his shoulder.

Scott, now fully armored grabbed Drack's krogan hammer out of his locker.

"Whoa, that's not for kiddies. You could hurt yourself."

"Shut up, old man," Scott looked him in the eye. "I want something that does serious damage."

Drack gave him a toothy grin. "All right, kid, you can use it...if you can lift it."

With both hands Scott gripped the handle and hoisted the heavy weapon up over his shoulder like a baseball bat. He stared the krogan down, then silently walked down the ramp to the dock.

Drack smiled. "That kid's got a _quad_. This is gonna be good."

Peebee happily danced after them twirling her pistol around her finger.

Gil chuckled as he went back to work on the console he'd been rewiring.

"You weren't serious, were you?" Kallo said in a timid voice.

Gil laughed even harder.

"Is this part of the human mating ritual?" Jaal's voice joined Kallo's over the comm. "I admit my curiosity has been piqued by my study of the human anatomy."

"Aw, geez," Liam leaned against the metal frame leading into his "room", shaking his head. He looked up at Gil. "That's one I am _not_ going to explain to him."

* * *

It turned out a day in the badlands helped Scott immensely. He found not only a great many criminals to subdue, but an alarming number of good people sent out there to die because they could not pay Sloane's protection fees. Yet another reason to despise the woman.

Even better than the adrenaline of a good fight, helping people in need was where Scott thrived. The biggest problem everyone faced was getting a hold of water safe to drink. Once the desperate scrambling and fighting for survival was out of the picture he imagined the people could safely settle the badlands and would not need Sloane's help any more. Cutting the Outcasts out of the equation seemed the best way to help everyone. He didn't know yet how to do that, but there were monoliths on Kadara which meant there must be a vault. If he could reset it he was confident the water crisis would be a thing of the past.

He left Drack and peebee at the lift leading back up to the port. Somehow he'd tired even Peebee out with all his running around. Although she still managed the energy to leer and comment on the reasons he might be staying behind even as the lift carried them away. Scott went straight to Tartarus. He felt in control again and sincerely hoped he could keep it together long enough to get through a conversation with Reyes. He didn't like leaving things the way he did. Besides, Reyes would be a valuable ally in moving against Sloane if it came to that. There did not seem to be any love lost between the two.

It was late, and he wasn't entirely certain Reyes would be in the bar still, but it was the only contact point he had for the man. However, when the door to the private lounge slid open there was Reyes sitting on the couch, datapad in hand.

"Ryder," the man looked up in surprise.

Scott moved to the side of the couch perpendicular to the smuggler and sat down. He looked Reyes in the eyes, as difficult as that was.

"I'm afraid things got off on the wrong foot," Scott began.

"On the contrary," Reyes smiled. "I thought they went pretty well."

"I'm not interested in a one night stand, or casual fling," Scott went on because if he didn't he might submit to the man's charm here and now. "The truth of the matter is I could die tomorrow, I've already died once, and I don't particularly enjoy wasting my time. I propose we start over and keep our relationship strictly professional."

"A man of business," Reyes said, accepting the parameters to an extent. "I respect that. But allow me to be honest with you. I like you, Ryder, and I will not make such a promise." He watched the young man carefully-was pleased that his words were not outright rejected. "I will charm and flirt and joke inappropriately, _that_ I do promise." He leaned back in the cushion. "It might surprise you that I can be a very patient man when I want to be."

Scott almost smiled. He fought tooth and nail to not give away the tingling thrill he felt at hearing the man basically say, _I will go at your pace, then_. "I appreciate your honesty," he managed, then paused. What could he say to steer things into a less heated, compromising subject?

"What happened to Vehn?" he nearly blurted. Yes, Vehn, concentrate on the traitor.

Reyes looked down at his datapad. "That is what I was just reading. One of my colleagues reports he made it off Kadara. He is a _free_ man thanks to you."

"I suppose you helped a little," Scott said, straight-faced. It was really difficult not to flirt with the man. Everything about Reyes, perhaps his very aura, screamed sex and Scott felt on the verge of saying, _fuck it!_ every time those lips moved, or those golden eyes locked onto his.

Reyes laughed. "Always nice to be recognized," he said.

Scott felt a twinge in his groin. Even the man's laugh-low, sensually accented, sexy as hell-was nearly more than Scott could handle. Why? He didn't even know the man. How could he unravel all of Scott's defenses with a single glance?

Scott cleared his throat. "I've run into another group here called the Collective," Scott rubbed a hand over the back of his neck, distracting himself by brushing his fingers through the short hair at the base of his skull. "I assume you know of them."

For a moment an odd expression crossed Reyes' face. "They gave you trouble?" he asked.

"A little," Scott chuckled. "If by 'trouble' you mean _attacked on sight_."

Reyes frowned.

"Even so, they seem less horrible than Sloane's men. At least they seemed to care about the people. I would be interested in possibly working something out with them. My whole purpose here is to build an outpost, after all, and my instincts tell me Sloane would not agree to that."

"I would have to agree with you there," Reyes said, looking thoughtful. "Not everyone's happy living under her thumb. Whatever resources Kadara has goes to the Outcasts. The rest of us get scraps." He leaned closer to Scott, a sincere look in his eyes. "The Collective claims to be different, but it's hard to trust a faceless leader."

"I've heard a few rumors of this Charlatan, but if they're even a little more reasonable than Sloane, they're the better way to go."

Reyes smiled. "Huh, I have to admit-I'm jealous. That's a better nickname than _Shena_."

"Speaking of, what does your name mean, anyway?"

"Careful, Scott," Reyes smirked. "Curiosity killed the cat."

"I've always hated that saying," Scott said.

"It's the Angaran word for _mouth_." Reyes watched Scott closely-watched the very subtle flush rise from his collar. "I'm good with _words_."

Scott swallowed the lump in his throat, struggled to control his erratic heartbeat, to get enough air all while valiantly trying not to let his companion see just how _not_ in control he was.

"Among other things," Scott said, slowly, only realizing afterward how sexual that could be taken.

Reyes appraised him with an amused look full of sexual energy. " _Never_ had a complaint," he said.

 _Pathfinder, perhaps you should find out where we can find the Collective_ , SAM said over their private channel.

"You wouldn't have any idea where the Collective operates?" Scott asked, with a silent _thank you_ to SAM.

Reyes smiled, recognizing the distraction for what it was and didn't mind at all. It was adorable. "Rumor has it they have a swanky hideout in one of the caves in Draullir. I've never seen it myself."

"Swankier than this place?" Scott glanced around the room in good humor.

" _Never_."

There was a moment of quiet between the two of them, not silent with the music of the club beating through the walls, but for the first time Scott could have believed he was sitting with a friend. Finally, Scott cleared his throat and stood to put some distance between them.

"I'd better go," he said.

"Ryder," Reyes called out, a warning tone in his accented voice. "Don't take this the wrong way, but...you're not really liked here in Kadara Port."

Scott swallowed before turning back. "Ouch," he said, barely managing to remain casually in control.

"Present company excluded, of course," Reyes continued. "What I'm saying is you need a friend. Someone on the inside to help you out."

"And you can be that guy."

"I can be that guy," Reyes confirmed. He looked Scott in the eyes as if nothing and no one else meant a damn thing. Scott had known that look once. "You ever need _anything_ , come to me."

Scott glanced away, avoided that golden gaze for a moment of relief. "Thank you," he said. "There seems to be a lot of work ahead of me here. I'll be around for a time." Scott pulled up his omni-tool, typed a quick message to Reyes. "That's my personal account. It might be better for you to contact me directly rather than go through illegal means to reach me."

Reyes laughed, glancing down when the message arrived on his omni-tool.

"You know me so well already, pathfinder. I was planning to hack into your account-surprise you with a nude photo or two."

Scott blushed from head to toe as now his mind was bombarded with images of Reyes' naked form. SAM didn't help at all when he privately offered to provide a mental rendering of Reyes based on his body type.

"See you around then," Scott said, quickly, heading for the door.

"Count on it, Pathfinder."

The moment Scott was gone Reyes pulled out his omni-tool and composed a message from the Charlatan to all the ranking officers in his Collective.

 _I told you before that the Human Pathfinder, named Scott Ryder, and his team are off limits!_

 _If I discover he has been harmed in any way by one of my own I will personally exterminate_

 _all agents involved. I will not repeat myself._

 _\- C_

When he was finished he lay his head back on the cushion of the couch, thinking about the lovely young man and listening to his officers' responding messages chime in one at a time.


	3. Chapter 3

Scott collapsed onto his bed. It had been one of the longest days he could remember. Technically it was now the next morning, and Scott had spent the day running around, fighting, and half aroused- _damn Reyes_ -the entire time. He should be exhausted, but sleep seemed a long ways off. His thoughts kept drifting and filling with a certain, sexy accent; kept seeing beautiful, piercing golden eyes. He'd just left the smuggler but a large part of him wanted to go back to that seedy little lounge and spend the night exploring the secretive man.

"Does this mean you and Mr. Vidal have established a romantic relationship, pathfinder" SAM said quite suddenly.

Scott closed his eyes and smiled. "No, SAM."

"That is what he appears to want," SAM persisted. "And you do not seem to be against the idea."

Scott sighed. "It's not as easy as simply deciding what we want."

"Why is that?"

Scott frowned. He didn't know exactly how to answer. He wished SAM would let it go, but past inquiries from the AI taught him that the subject never truly dropped until Scott could answer to some satisfaction.

"In a perfect world I suppose what we wanted would be all that mattered," Scott said, slowly. "But Reyes has made a life for himself here on Kadara and I suspect my life will not allow me to settle in a single place for long. Knowing what you do of the family dynamic, SAM, what does that tell you?"

"My experience is limited to Alec's experiences before yours, pathfinder. However, I observed that distance and separation among a family that loves each other matters little. It is the time spent together that is of true importance."

"Damn," Scott muttered under his breath. "You're right, of course. But that's...not the only concern." There was silence, indicating SAM was waiting for him to continue. He didn't know quite how to put it into words. How do you explain the complexities of a broken heart to a being that has never felt love for itself. Perhaps it would be better to show him.

"Do-" Scott swallowed, "you have access to my memories, right SAM?"

"Yes, pathfinder."

"To my memories before we integrated-before I went into cryo sleep in the Milky Way?"

A pause.

"I have never had need to access memories before Alec transferred me to you, pathfinder."

Scott braced himself, cleared his throat before speaking carefully. "I give you permission to access my memory of the night before my scheduled cryo sleep, twenty-first day of Earth month September, 2185."

Nothing could have prepared him for the pain that followed. The events of that night played through his head like a movie as SAM unburied them. Everything down to the last detail, every sight, every sound, every scent was as fresh and raw, and beautiful and terrible as he remembered. He was back in his temporary room assigned to him by the Initiative as he awaited his turn to go into cryo when his lover came to him.

 _Why didn't you tell me? Didn't you trust me?_ Scott had begged. Nothing hurt more than knowing he'd been lied to. It didn't matter the reasons, even though deep in his heart he understood. His lover knew this, had reached for him, and though Scott wanted to punish him, yell at him, punch him, he went into that embrace like a drowning man, clutching to the one he loved, soaking in his scent, memorizing his touch and the way he felt.

 _Why can't you just come with us?_

He couldn't, and Scott understood his reasons, but he hated it. He was angry, but he had no one to focus his anger on-no outlet for this hurt, this terrible shattering of his heart and life and everything in it.

Later, Scott wept in his lover's embrace as they moved, and breathed, and rocked together. He made Scott promise him to go to Andromeda and be safe, and happy, and _live_. He lovingly slid the black ring on Scott's finger with a kiss that relayed every aching emotion they shared in that moment. And when they came together Scott never remembered feeling his heart so full and so achingly hollow at the same time. Even when his mother died, he'd never felt so hopelessly alone and broken.

His lover had stayed inside him, and Scott wouldn't let him go anyway even for a moment. He couldn't let go of that comforting warmth, that deepest physical connection because everything else was falling apart around him. Eventually, Scott slept, and when he woke he was alone.

Sara had found him soon after, somehow she knew. She stayed with him while he cried out his pain-stood guard so their father wouldn't see, wouldn't find out. It was long hours before Scott could hold himself together in order to report for his appointment to go to sleep for centuries. The only solace was he would not have to dream in that time.

Scott gasped painfully, tears streamed down his face. He was back on the Tempest again, back in his room. He admittedly had no idea what he was subjecting himself to when he granted SAM permission to access that memory, but he didn't know he would have to relive it in such detail... _feel_ it all, again...and it wasn't going away. He glanced around the room. It was his room on the Tempest, certainly, he could see it, but he could still see and feel that night, as if he were living both at the same time.

" _Fuck_ ," he groaned as if in physical pain. He put his hands over his face and tried to breathe as the memory started over like a nightmarish rerun.

Scott lay there a long time attempting to force the ghost of his lover out of his head. But such a feat was impossible when he could taste the man on his tongue, and feel those strong, caring hands caressing, loving every inch of his body. He could still feel his lover pushing into him over and over, and see the depths of that love and pain in those gray-blue eyes that had only ever held warmth and kindness and adoration for Scott. Try as he might to think of anything else, he couldn't. The memory had opened wounds that had never healed, but somehow he'd managed to push them deep down so that he could function because duty had called the moment he was woken from cryo. Now, it was swallowing him whole.

"SAM," he gasped. He clutched the pillow to his face to muffle the wracking sobs. "Please, make it stop. I _can't_ -" he cried out into the pillowy softness as his ghost of a lover pushed into him again. His lover's beautiful mouth was on his throat, his chest, the heat and weight of his body was on top of him, between his legs and inside him. Scott was trapped, and he didn't understand how, except that something must have gone wrong. He knew that SAM had helped his father recall important details in his memory from time to time, but he knew for certain it had never been like this. It couldn't have been. Not to this extent.

Scott groaned low into the pillow through the arousal that wasn't his-it _was_ his, but it was six hundred years old and did not belong here and now. " _SAM_." It was no more than a whimper, a pathetic sound on his lips. But finally, the memory faded and the physical impressions with it-not instantly like a switch being flipped, but quickly enough like a giant thing being hastily forced and stuffed behind a closed door, leaving Scott gasping and his heart hammering.

"Forgive me, Scott. I did not mean to cause you such pain," SAM said quietly.

"What the fuck happened?" Scott hissed between clenched teeth.

"I was not adequately prepared for the strength of the memory. When I pulled the memory to the surface for my viewing I did not understand the effect it would have on you, Scott. Nor did I intend to entrap you there with me while I experienced the memory. I know now for next time and it will not happen again."

"Shit," Scott whispered, rubbing his eyes with a shaking hand. He tried to laugh, to make light of what he'd just experienced but it was a bitter, terrible sound. In truth, he was shaken to his very soul.

It took some time before he even remembered why he'd asked SAM to access the memory in the first place. "I guess now you understand my reservations about Reyes," he said at last. "Human hearts can love so fiercely, so completely...sometimes there's only room enough for one person in there."

There was silence for what felt like ages to Scott in the aftermath of what he'd just experienced. He wondered if SAM was truly just contemplating or if the AI was experiencing some things himself. Like guilt, perhaps. Scott couldn't help but feel like SAM deserved to feel badly about what he'd done-intentionally or not.

"I have felt the loss of a loved one once before," SAM finally said. "Through Alec I experienced Ellen's death. I understood through him that loving another would not be the same." A pause. "And now I understand that love does not have to be separated by death to be just as painful." Another pause. "I am truly sorry, Scott, for my ignorance. My purpose always is to help you. I feel tonight I have failed."

"Please, SAM, it's all right," Scott said, even as he wiped a tear away-they just wouldn't stop coming. "Just _please_ don't let that happen again." No one should ever have to go through that once, let alone two and three times.

"You have my word, Scott."

* * *

The next morning Scott went straight to the showers. Liam and Gil were both in front of the mirror shaving, talking quietly. Neither of them had any snide or playful comments about Reyes, for which Scott was grateful. He didn't believe they had heard anything from Scott's hellish night, but he knew they could see the rough, sleepless hours in his eyes when he walked into the bathroom. They certainly knew something was wrong when Scott let his clothes fall on the floor as he walked before stepping naked into the small partitioned room where the showerheads protruded from the walls. Normally, their pathfinder took great care in folding his clothes and stacking them neatly on the countertop. It was a habit they had teased him about since the clothes were going to be tossed into the wash afterward anyway.

Scott just stood under the spray for a long time. He planned to reset the monoliths today, and just thinking about the desert heat caused him to turn the cold water way up. He heard the door to the crew's quarters open and close, thought he was alone until someone cleared their throat behind him. He didn't need to turn to know it was Gil. But he looked over his shoulder just in time to see the engineer's eyes dart away from Scott's nudity. Gil had been one of the people to express interest with harmless looks and flirting but they both realized pretty quickly getting involved might not be a good idea. They'd mutually agreed that friendship was the best way to go. That's not to say that Scott hadn't thought about it. Gil was a handsome man with a tenor English accent that sometimes made Scott feel pleasant things. He thought of Reyes' voice. Maybe he had something for accents.

"Ryder," Gil said, hesitantly. Scott could see the concern in the other's frown. "Are you all right?"

Scott turned back to the wall. Took a deep, steadying breath.

"I'm not an expert or anything," Gil continued softly. "I don't know much about your life before you came here. But I do know you've been struggling with something beyond just pathfinder stuff." Gil paused. "An' I know we gave you shit yesterday about that Reyes guy, but if he's _it_..."

Scott smiled. He knew talking about feelings was not Gil's forte, but he certainly appreciated the effort.

He looked back over his shoulder. "Thanks, Gil. Really."

Gil nodded, looked at his feet before recovering that snarky grin.

"The man better know how lucky he is because," he looked at Scott, backing away to the door, " _damn_ , Ryder."

"Yeah, all right," Scott chuckled, turning back to the spray.

" _Fine_ piece of ass," Gil hollered over his shoulder, walking out the door.

"Trying to take a shower here," Scott called after him.

It wasn't much, but it felt good to know someone cared, even if that someone had to cover up their concern with smartass comments. No pun intended.

* * *

Scott stepped off the Tempest intending to start solving Kadara's water problem. However, there was a commotion in the market that drew his attention. The last thing he expected was to walk into a murder scene. There, practically in the exact spot he'd stopped a man being beaten to death, was an angaran male, gutted, lying face down.

Scott cringed slightly at the sight of the gore. Someone had really had it in for the poor guy.

"Ew," Peebee said quietly at his side.

There was an Outcast guard standing over the scene directing people back.

"What happened?" Scott asked the man.

The guard looked at the Andromeda Initiative insignia on Scott's chest, looked Ryder in the eye. After Scott's meddling in Outcast affairs and mocking Sloane Kelly, he expected the man to tell him to go to hell or something equally colorful and rude. But the man straightened a little, said, "Murdered early this morning, after most of the bar's crowds had gone home." He pointed to the door of Kralla's Song. "No one saw anything-least, none that admit to seeing anything." The man huffed. " _Again_. I don't get paid enough for this shit."

"Again?" Scott frowned. "There's been more?"

"Seven by my count, but that's all I know," the guard offered.

 _Perhaps Mr. Vidal will have more information_ , SAM suggested helpfully over their private channel.

Scott winced even as he laughed. "Seriously?" he muttered under his breath. "It seems I just can't get enough of embarrassing myself in front of the man."

"He is the most likely person to have information who will speak to you, pathfinder," SAM said.

"I know, I know." Scott looked over his shoulder at Peebee and Liam. "Shall we?"

When the three of them arrived at Tartarus, Scott's companions slowed up. Scott turned to question them, but paused at the uncontrollable grin on Peebee's face. His eyes slid to Liam. The man laughed and cleared his throat.

"We'll just hang out here, ya know, enjoy the view," he swept a hand out over the sulfur-smelling, acid-water mud puddles littering the ground of the cave-like slums.

Scott arched a brow at that. "Uh-huh," he said slowly, with no small amount of suspicion. Throwing the pair another look over his shoulder Scott entered the club. He heard Peebee giggle before the door closed behind him.

When he entered the private lounge for the third time in two days his heart immediately raced at the sight of the man sitting on the couch. Reyes' elbow was resting on the arm of the couch, his closed fist resting over his mouth as he stared at a spot on the floor. Whatever was on his mind had drawn a frown between his brow. However, the moment he heard Scott enter and looked up, a sincere smile appeared as Reyes stood to greet him.

"Ryder, I'm glad you're here..." he trailed off. "Is everything all right? You don't look well."

Scott knew the awful night before showed in his eyes, even if he'd managed to hide the rest of the evidence with a cold shower and a large mug of his favorite coffee. Reyes indicated for Scott to sit and then sat next to him-their thighs touching. Scott couldn't help but be acutely aware of Reyes' touch. He looked at the other man and followed Reyes' gaze down to his ring-which he was twisting with his thumb again. He instantly stopped and squeezed his left hand into a fist.

"Just a rough night," Scott said. "Couldn't sleep."

"Mm," Reyes hummed, the tone told Scott the man knew there was much more to it than that, but was graciously letting him keep his secrets for now. Reyes gripped Scott's knee firmly, a brief show of support, let it linger a moment before pulling his hand away. "I'm sure you've heard about the murders?"

Scott nodded. "There's a fresh body outside of Kralla's. Some people seem to think the Charlatan is involved."

Scott saw a sexy flash of teeth when Reyes smiled before his lips settled into a charming smirk. The man leaned back into the couch cushion. "The Charlatan, hm? I don't buy it. The Charlatan is discreet, careful. Whoever did this wanted the bodies found."

Scott turned a little on the couch to face the smuggler. "To send a message, perhaps?"

"But to whom?"

Scott smiled, remembering his disastrous meeting with her royal highness. "Maybe someone's not happy about the way Sloane's running things," he said.

"Less than a third of the victims are Outcasts," Reyes pointed out. "No. If I were a betting man-which I am-I would put my money on the Roekaar. The port is angaran-built and until Sloane took over, angaran-run. I think the Roekaar might have come looking for new recruits-things got out of hand."

"And the angara victims?"

"I did a little digging," Reyes casually pointed at his datapad on the short table. "The angara that were killed were public Milky Way sympathizers."

"Everyone dead is either from the Milky Way-"

"Or supported us," Reyes finished with a smile.

"Makes sense, I guess," Scott agreed. "Better than any theory anyone else has, myself included. Could the Resistance help with this?"

Reyes shook his head. "They don't want to antagonize the Roekaar."

Scott sighed. "I guess that's where I come in." Scott rubbed his eyes. "I was going to fix the whole damn planet today, but I suppose you lot can survive another day, right?"

Reyes gave a surprised laugh. "Spoken like a true hero." He placed a hand on Scott's thigh. "Truly you do amazing things, Ryder. But I appreciate your help with this. I can only investigate so far. I need that fancy AI of yours to scan for evidence."

"You hear that, SAM?" Scott said, with a small smile at Reyes. "Reyes thinks you're fancy."

"I appreciate the compliment, Mr. Vidal," SAM said.

Reyes winked at Scott. "You are remarkable, SAM, don't let anyone tell you otherwise." He sobered up a little, his thumb lightly caressing back and forth where his hand still rested on top of Scott's leg. "People are scared, Ryder. Even more than is normal for this place. This is your opportunity to win over friends in the port. I want that to happen. I don't like the idea of so many lunatics out there gunning for you, looking for their ten minutes of fame."

Scott smiled gently, touched by the other's concern. "If you think I'm so easy to take down, you grossly underestimate my skill." He meant it as a joke to lighten the mood, but Reyes only became more adamant.

"Skill won't always win out against numbers, or people with nothing to lose. Just," he paused, looking Scott in the eye. "Be careful. The Roekaar especially hate you. You're giving us a foothold in Heleus-they don't like that."

"Understood," Scott said, in a tone that indicated he paid Reyes' concern the seriousness it deserved. In a moment of weakness Scott reached down and squeezed Reyes' hand before standing up. "Since I'm so integral in this plan, I'll get going."

Reyes chuckled. "SAM is integral, you're a _bonus_. One of the crime scenes isn't far. I'll send you the coordinates. And Ryder," he spoke up as Scott turned away. "If you're having trouble sleeping...I could help you with that."

Scott silently cursed as his body betrayed him with a strong tingling sensation in intimate areas. He managed a half smile. "I will try to keep that in mind." Try? That was going to be all he thought about now.

Reyes' golden eyes pierced into Scott's very soul.

"See that you do," he said.


	4. Chapter 4

Scott returned to the Tempest to put on his armor. Peebee and Liam fell in line behind him, exchanging looks that made their pathfinder sigh with exaggeration. The spot on his thigh where Reyes' hand had been seemed to burn through him. He could feel the callused hand like a palpable thing as if it was still there. It bothered him that Reyes affected him so much. He didn't know a damn thing about the man, and yet even several of his crew were already behaving like the man had proposed or something. Truth was Scott didn't really believe the smuggler wanted him—maybe as a conquest, to be able to say he'd landed the human pathfinder—but Reyes didn't know him either. It was obvious the attraction was entirely physical and Scott wasn't interested in something like that. After having a love that encompassed his entire being, after years of sharing every intimacy with another person, after the excitement and passion of seeing one another on shore leave and any other event or occasion that warranted them time together, Scott could not imagine ever wanting anything less in his future. Anything less than that seemed trivial and small. They had planned to marry before everything went to hell. If Scott was going to even entertain the thought of letting someone into the intimacies of his life, a life together had to be in the cards. Perhaps that made him a fool, or a hopeless romantic. He knew others in his place—with death being a possibility every day—would throw caution to the wind and take a warm body to bed every chance they had. The biblical _eat, drink and be merry for tomorrow we die_ mentality.

Scott couldn't live like that. He never could before and he couldn't now. He had to believe he was making a difference, giving people hope—that the work he was doing here was for people like him who wanted to find someone special and start their families. He needed to make that possible because he wanted it, too. But he had no idea, even if he survived all this, if that would ever happen for him. He may never be allowed to leave his position as pathfinder. SAM was a part of him to such a degree that it was not simply a matter of transferring the AI to the next candidate in line. Pathfinder could very well be a life sentence for him.

Peebee bounced up to him as he buckled this chest plate in place. "So?"

"So, what?"

"How's the boyfriend?"

"Don't know what you're talking about. In fact," he spoke up loud enough that everyone in the hold looked to him. "Let's just clear this up right now. Nothing will ever happen with Reyes or anyone for that matter. So whatever you think you need to say about it keep it to yourselves and let me focus on my damn job."

He hadn't meant to get angry. He knew the teasing was in good fun, that on some level his crew cared about him and wanted him to be happy. He just didn't want to deal with it right then—not after the events of the night before.

Peebee giggled, completely unaffected by his mood. Scott pointed a finger in her smiling face. "You're sitting this one out," he said.

That got her attention. "Aw, Ryder, come on!"

Liam laughed.

Scott pointed at him. "You, too."

"What did I do?"

"Vetra, Cora, you're with me," Scott yelled over Peebee's protests. "Let's get this over with so we can get back on track."

Scott pulled out his Widow sniper rifle, busied himself with checking the scope while the two ladies hurried to get ready. Out of the corner of his eye he could see Gil leaning against the wall watching him. Scott didn't need to look to know the man was frowning. He felt bad suddenly. Then he got angry all over again for feeling bad. He _shouldn't_ have to feel bad, but he shouldn't have behaved like a child either. Scott closed his eyes. He shut out the voices and noises around him, breathing deeply. He thought of his father. What would he say right now—what would he think about his son losing his cool over something so ridiculous, so unimportant? Scott didn't question his father's decision to transfer SAM to him, cementing his role as the pathfinder. He didn't question it because there was nothing he could do about what was done while he'd been busy dying. His only choice was to do the very best he could, and when that wasn't good enough, to give even more. That's what his father knew about him. Whether that was why Alec chose him in those final moments Scott might never know.

 _Alec would be proud of you, Scott_ , SAM said over their private channel.

 _I guess you would know better than me_ , Scott thought.

 _He didn't say it, but there was a warmth, a sense of fatherly pride every time he thought of you and your sister_.

 _Thanks, SAM_.

Scott opened his eyes, looked around at his crew. Peebee and Liam were blaming each other for why they were being left behind. Vetra and Cora were armored up and loading rounds into their weapons. Drack, Jaal, and Gil were all watching him—Scott could only imagine what they thought of him. He took one last calming breath.

"My apologies," he said, quietly, but the strength of his tone carried the words over Peebee's and Liam's noise. "You all deserve more from me, and you will get it." He looked at Cora and Vetra. "Ready? Let's go then."

The trio headed down the ramp into the busy port. They had a murderer to stop. Nothing would give him more satisfaction than being the one to stop the despicable person or persons responsible.

* * *

From the walkway in front of his apartment above Tartarus, Reyes watched the pathfinder and his two crew mates load their gear into their nomad. He couldn't help but admire the armor plates that accentuated the powerful muscles in the young pathfinder's legs. He loved the leather padded armor plating that hugged the man's muscular waist and the black utility belt that hung slightly askew on such slender, delectable hips. The chest plate and bulky shoulder plates made the pathfinder look so much larger than he actually was—that, in addition to the powerful biotics the man possessed, cut quite a striking, intimidating figure. But no matter how good the pathfinder was, Reyes knew it was only a matter of time before someone bested him. He had no doubt in his mind such a feat would be achieved unfairly, but it would happen nonetheless. There was no shortage of ways for smugglers to get their hands on biotic dampeners. He'd even heard of some advancements being attempted to such devices that could be powerful enough to cripple anyone with biotics, temporarily or permanently Reyes didn't know.

Reyes had eyes and ears everywhere in the port, the slums, and even in the badlands. He heard an alarming number of conversations involving the pathfinder from the moment the Tempest landed on Kadara. Mostly Outcasts, but there was a fair number of smaller gangs, groups, organizations, or just angry exiles and criminals who hated the young man for no other reason than that he worked for the Nexus. It didn't matter that the work Ryder was doing was going to benefit them all. It didn't matter that Ryder cared what happened to those he came across. Someone was going to do something stupid eventually if any of those conversations were ever put into motion. Reyes would do whatever he could to keep that from happening.

Agents from his Collective had witnessed Roekaar leaving the crime scenes. There was never any question in Reyes' mind who was responsible for the murders. However, there wasn't any evidence visible to any technology on Kadara that could definitively pin the murders to the alien-hating group. Not that it really mattered. Reyes could have had the Roekaar exterminated already and been done with them. But when the reports kept rolling in of people planning to take out Scott and his team, Reyes saw an opportunity. Send the pathfinder to investigate the murders and do away with the culprits. Reyes would see to it that every man, woman, and child knew that it was Scott Ryder who had brought the murderers to justice. Reyes was going to chip away at the hatred for the Tempest crew and, by default, the Nexus one piece at a time. Reyes had no respect for Director Tann or even Addison, for that matter, but he wanted the gap bridged. He didn't come all the way to Andromeda to be a low life criminal, or to go to war with his own people. He could have just stayed in the Milky Way for that.

Doors slamming closed echoed loudly in the cavern-like space. The nomad's engine roared to life and Ryder and his companions soon disappeared around the corner of the mountain. Reyes had sent them to a ridge in the Sulfur Springs valley where some of the exiles had set themselves up. One of the victims had been a krogan who kept to himself despite his neighbors and was just trying to get by like everyone else. Reyes suspected the Roekaar chose him, not just because he lived alone, but for the challenge, the thrill of bringing down a mighty _enemy_. Reyes had already been to the sight, it wasn't pretty. The Roekaar had pried off the krogan's frontal plate—an excruciating and humiliating ordeal—before killing him. The place had been a complete mess and Reyes was confident the Roekaar left behind all kinds of clues. They weren't exactly going for neat and clean when the blood trails and spatters suggested the struggle and ultimately the murder took place in every room and corner of the krogan's home.

Reyes knew exactly how long it would take Ryder and his team to reach the navpoint. He had time. Perhaps now was as good a time as ever to visit Keema Dohrgun. There were certain...things that needed discussing and the woman had a way of putting things into perspective.

Keema agreed to meet him in Kralla's for a quick visit. The angaran representative needed a break from Sloane's throne room anyway, she'd expressed. Reyes didn't know how she did it. Five minutes with the Outcast leader and the two would be shooting each other, but Keema...was a very patient woman. She knew Reyes and his Collective were working on a way to get Sloane out of Kadara Port, and she knew that it was a long, slow, difficult process. She understood and didn't complain, a fact for which Reyes had to give her endless credit. He could only imagine how he'd feel if an alien had come to his home and taken over, demanding outrageous payment from those who rightfully owned and lived in the place, exiling those who couldn't or wouldn't pay. Keema's people had suffered a great injustice, and Reyes was sorry it was a human responsible for it.

Reyes was already seated at a corner table when the lovely angaran woman descended the stairs into the main floor of the bar. He caught her eye and she smiled making her way to him.

"Reyes," she said in a lyrical tone as she took her seat across from him. "How are you, darling?"

"No complaints," he smirked. "How is the royal court?"

Keema rolled her eyes. "Kelly is insufferable as always," those large angaran eyes watched Reyes carefully, "even more so since the pathfinder landed in Kadara."

"Yes, he made quite the impression," he chuckled. "Were you there?"

"Regretfully, no, but from her endless bitching about it I know it must have been something else."

Reyes laughed. "That's what everyone hears."

"Where is this young man now? I would like to meet him," Keema said with a hint of a smile.

"He's looking into those murders," Reyes said quietly. The bar was loud, but he didn't want to risk anyone overhearing. "I told you my plan with that."

Keema nodded. "It's a good idea, and very sweet of you to look out for him."

"He looks out for himself just fine," Reyes cleared his throat. "This is just the first piece to set in place for our ultimate goal."

Keema put her elbow on the table and rested her chin in her palm, watching her friend with amusement. She'd never seen such a genuine smile on the man before.

"You like him," she said.

Reyes just stared at her.

Her smile grew.

"That doesn't have anything to do with this—"

"It does. But that's good."

"You're being ridiculous," Reyes huffed. "I don't even know him."

"You will," she promised. "Really, you humans are such strange creatures. You would live a lifetime alone rather than admit to feeling something for one another."

Reyes smiled at that. In fact, he had already admitted to liking the young man. Turned out that was the easy part. "We do enjoy our misery," he said.

Keema nodded. "Do you plan on telling him?"

The question was vague, but Reyes knew exactly what she was asking. He looked away from her large, bright eyes—watched a rowdy group at a nearby table for a moment.

"Like I said, I don't know him. Much too early to be worrying about that."

"All right, my friend," she said, patting his hand that rested on the table. "Keep your secrets for now. But if the pathfinder ever becomes important to you, it's best to tell him sooner rather than later."

At that moment Reyes' omni-tool pinged. It was Scott calling. He must have reached the murder scene.

Reyes winked at Keema and answered.

"Reyes," Scott's young voice sounded grim. "I reached the navpoint, it's...not pretty."

"Yes," Reyes stood from the table leaned down to kiss Keema's cheek in farewell. She smiled at him before he hurried toward the stairs. "I heard it was an unpleasant scene. My apologies. The victim was a krogan male named Zear. His attackers pried off his frontal plate before shooting him to death."

"They wanted him to suffer," Scott said, disgusted—angry. Reyes couldn't blame him and felt a pang of guilt for sending him to the site. There were other sites that were less foul, but none more likely to yield the evidence they needed.

Reyes was out of the bar and on his way to the dock. He had a shuttle there waiting for him.

"Get to scanning, Ryder," he said. "Look for anything that will point to his killer..."

Reyes nodded at the agent standing watch and he jumped into the pilot's seat of the shuttle. As the engine hummed to life Reyes responded to Scott's discoveries at the scene. He knew exactly where the Roekaar were holed up and he needed to get there first—a simple enough task since the pathfinder was traveling by land. This particular group of Roekaar had significant numbers and Reyes planned to level the playing field as much as possible.

* * *

Reyes was on his back inside a crawl space underneath the main floor of the Roekaar hideout. He'd already planted several explosives in key areas of the base, was just carefully placing the final one when he heard the pathfinder's nomad approaching. He heard the engine shut off and doors close in the distance.

Reyes waited patiently for the trio to scout the area and slowly approach on foot. He could hear them speak quietly to each other but couldn't make out what was said. When he heard the doors to the base slide open Reyes synced the timer on the explosives to his omni-tool and crawled out from under the building. He retrieved his assault rifle from where he'd hidden it behind some crates and moved quietly to the door. He could hear angry voices demanding that the pathfinder and his team drop their weapons.

Reyes cursed under his breath. He knew Scott was a weapon whether armed or not, Harper was as well, but his heart lurched as the angry voices continued yelling for them to disarm. Just knowing that deadly weapons were pointed at the pathfinder at that moment made Reyes angry—sparked a feeling of protectiveness in him. He forced himself to take a calming breath. The Roekaar would take their new prisoners to Farah. She was their leader and Reyes knew she would want the pleasure of killing them herself. He had a little time.

Reyes counted on the Roekaar guards abandoning their posts in order to march their prisoners further into the base. He was glad to see he was correct. It was an oversight they were going to regret. Reyes moved silently into position behind the wall at the top of the stairs leading down into the caverns beyond the man-made base. He listened intently to the conversation going on between Ryder and Farah while he watched the timer on his omni-tool. He could hear Ryder trying to reason with the woman, bless him. Even facing someone who would happily cut out his heart while he lived Scott tried to give her the option of a better way.

Reyes heard it when Farah's tone changed. He knew she was done talking. Reyes turned the corner with his weapon ready. He saw Farah draw a wicked-looking blade, saw the hatred flash in her eyes as she prepared to use it with deadly force. Reyes aimed and fired. The bullet hit Farah's hand knocking the deadly knife away. All guns turned to him as he quickly descended the stairs. Vetra and Cora immediately took cover but Scott stood out in the open. Reyes watched the pathfinder roll his shoulders back and a blue-white barrier expanded from his body covering himself and his companions in its protection just as the Roekaar opened fire.

Scott looked to his side where Reyes now knelt. "You're late," he said, folding his arms across his chest.

Reyes smirked. "You'll see why in three...two...one."

Explosions erupted throughout the base. The deafening roars echoed through the caverns toward them. Anyone that wasn't dead had been knocked to the ground buying valuable time. Scott grabbed a dropped gun and tossed it to Vetra.

"Still mad?" Reyes asked. At that point several Roekaar had recovered and were firing into Scott's barrier. Scott stepped forward increasing the strength of the shield, his body lighting up like a beacon drawing all their enemy fire. He smiled back at Reyes before jogging forward. He held one blue-white blazing hand toward the ground then swung his arm up like an under-handed throw and an enormous shockwave tore through the center of the cavern, the power of the biotic energy sending enemies flying. After that it was chaos. Cora blinked behind enemies and shattered them with nova strikes, Vetra provided a hail of cover fire and Scott was a lightning blur darting from one end of the cavern to the other instantly with his biotic charge. It was a little mesmerizing to watch the man in action. Even without a gun of his own no one could touch him, in fact the Roekaar seemed completely at a loss as to how to deal with such an enemy. Reyes almost felt sorry for them.

Just then he spotted Farah behind a pile of supply crates with a powerful looking rifle in her hands. She was aiming for the back of Ryder's head as he struggled with a large angaran male. Reyes charged through the barrier that was still protecting him and tackled her to the ground just as a deafening shot rang through the base. He didn't have time to see if Scott was all right as the angara woman fought him viciously to gain the upper hand. He activated his omni-blade and stabbed her through the chest—watched with a degree of satisfaction as the light left her eyes.

Shoving off of her he held his gun at the ready as he looked around the smoke-hazy base. It was much quieter all of a sudden.

"Ryder," Reyes called out.

No answer.

" _Scott_ ," he yelled, moving forward to where he remembered seeing the man before the gunshot.

"Reyes," Scott walked out of the haze with his companions several steps behind.

Reyes felt the tension in his body release, leaving him feeling weak. He hadn't realized his heart had practically stopped in that awful moment of silence.

"Are you all right?" he found himself asking even though he could see that he was.

"Thanks to you," the young man smiled at him. He turned his left shoulder toward Reyes. There in the armor plating was a large missing chunk where the armor-piercing bullet had gone through like a hot knife through butter.

Reyes swallowed thickly. That had almost been Scott. The human pathfinder, their only pathfinder had almost been killed chasing down some low-life Roekaar and it would have been his fault.

"Reyes," Scott put a hand on his shoulder. "Everything ok?"

Reyes managed a believable smirk. "You made short work of them, pathfinder. The streets of Kadara are safe again."

They began walking back to the front of the base. Reyes noticed Scott watching him with a strange look on his face. A mix of concern and something else.

"Don't worry, I'll make sure all the important people know who to thank," Reyes said with a charming smile, trying to lighten the weight in his own chest.

"We make a pretty good team," Scott said. He'd stopped walking and let his companions continue up the stairs and out the door.

There was that strange look again that Reyes couldn't quite read. Scott was looking at him intently.

"Careful," Reyes said gently, "or I might start thinking you like me."

To his surprise Scott reached up and gripped Reyes by the back of the neck, pulled him close. Just before their lips could meet Scott stopped. Suddenly Reyes understood the look in the man's eyes—uncertainty and fear warring tumultuously with want and hope.

Scott's voice shook a little when he whispered in a far away voice, as if he wasn't talking to Reyes at all, "Would that be so bad?"

The two stood like that a long time, both wanting more. Reyes was willing, but Scott looked terrified. Reyes could feel the young man trembling in their close proximity.

"Scott," Reyes offered him a gentle smile. He slowly moved forward and pressed his lips to the young man's cheek. He pulled away to see Scott's eyes had closed. Reyes waited for them to open again before he said, "Don't be a stranger, pathfinder."

It took everything he had to pull away then. He ignored the looks Scott's companions gave him as he walked past them into the sunlight outside. It felt strange to want someone this much. It wasn't about sex, it wasn't about conquest. He wanted _Scott_. He wanted to know him, he wanted to love him. It was a feeling he'd never felt before and he was surprised to find that he liked it very much.


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter Five

Scott rode in the back seat of the nomad in silence as Cora navigated the vehicle carefully over rocky terrain. He knew his companions were worried, or at least, unnerved. He saw them exchanging uneasy glances when they thought he wasn't paying attention. The two had nearly gaped when Scott handed the reins over to Harper, so to speak, without a word and climbed into the back. He had never willingly given up his place in the driver's seat since they'd known him as pathfinder.

They weren't the only ones unnerved. Scott didn't want to try to concentrate on anything while he worked through the turmoil going on inside him. The deafening sound of the bullet hitting his armor next to his ear kept ringing in his head. It was a very close call—so close that he didn't even argue when SAM berated him and schooled him on all the things he'd done wrong. He'd been cocky, no doubt about it. He'd exhausted his biotics to the point he'd been unable to maintain a proper shield over his own person. He'd allowed himself to be distracted keeping an impenetrable barrier around Reyes. Why? The man was a fighter. It was obvious that he'd seen combat before ever coming to Andromeda. Reyes could have handled himself.

But Scott couldn't handle the thought of him getting hit. What was most worrisome was _that_ bothered him more than the fact that his foolishness had nearly cost him his life, and the Initiative their only pathfinder. There was something about the smuggler that stirred him—a feeling he'd only ever felt with one other person. Scott had so much weighing on his shoulders he couldn't afford the distraction Reyes would cause. They didn't even have a relationship beyond what was necessary for the Resistance and Scott was nearly killed for it. He didn't want to imagine the distraction the man would cause if they became closer—meant more to each other.

It wasn't fair to place the blame on Reyes, the man's quick actions saved Scott's life after all, and Scott knew better—had been _trained_ better. Allowing for distractions was unacceptable. Kale would have been ashamed of him.

Scott sucked in a breath as the name of his dead lover came unbidden to mind, like instinct—like reflex. Once upon a time his lover's scowl or reprimanding tone would have warmed his heart because Scott knew the man cared. Now, the man's memory was like a tsunami of icy water, shocking to his system, clinging with frigid tendrils around his heart, choking the air from his aching, stinging lungs. Scott felt anger wash over him. He never would have imagined these memories that were so precious to him could ever be so treacherous. He wanted to keep them always. Here in a new galaxy, far from home and everything he knew, they meant infinitely more and yet they only brought him pain. Pain that would eat at him piece by agonizing piece until there was nothing left of him.

 _Scott_ , SAM said quietly over their private channel.

The mechanical tone—yet so human at times—severed his thoughts immediately. The metal walls inside the nomad filtered back into focus and he knew he'd sunk deeper into that inner darkness than he had realized. He sucked in a deep, steadying breath, held it, and let it out slowly.

 _Thanks, SAM_.

The ride back to Kadara port continued in silence aside from the nomad's engines and the sound of dirt and rock shifting under the tires as the tread gripped the path they were on. Up front Vetra and Cora seemed unaware of Scott's inner turmoil, concentrating on the bumpy road and their surroundings. Or if they were aware they kept it to themselves, for which Scott was grateful. Perhaps they had their own troubled thoughts to deal with. Though he would never drag his companions into his personal troubles, he couldn't help but feel alone and isolated, which made him feel weak.

 _You don't give yourself enough credit, Scott_ , SAM's voice gently filled his head.

Scott frowned.

 _Your father said this to me many times_.

Scott looked out the tinted window watching the craggy canyon walls as they passed.

 _Funny that he never said it to me_ , Scott said.

 _He always wanted to_ , SAM offered.

 _I know you think that counts for something, SAM, but it doesn't. Not really_.

A pause. _I see_.

 _Still, it is nice to know I was not a complete disappointment in his eyes_.

To that SAM did not respond and Scott didn't expect 'him' to. His relationship with his father was just like everything else now—gone. There wasn't much use in trying to figure it out. However, Scott never was good at being callous or indifferent. He knew the questions would never go away because now they could never really be satisfied.

Once they were back on the Tempest, SAM alerted him that he had a new message. It turned out to be from Reyes thanking him again for his help with the Roekaar. Scott expected the message to be riddled with flirtatious lines, but it was short and to the point, for which he was relieved. He had a lot of shit to work through and he really couldn't handle any more piling onto his confusion. He was attracted to Reyes, that part was not hard to figure out. What he couldn't get over was the overwhelming guilt and pain. No matter how he tried to look at it, it felt like a betrayal to Kale. The way they left things— _had_ to leave things... knowing that the man was six hundred years dead did nothing to relieve the ache. It was only a few months for Scott. He didn't know how to feel all right with moving on—wasn't sure he ever would.

Just then Cora's voice came over the ship's comm in his room.

"Ryder, I need to speak with you. If you'll meet me in the Bio lab." Her voice sounded urgent, a little excited.

"Be right there," he said, already half way to the door and glad to have any excuse to think about something else for a time.

* * *

Reyes didn't return immediately to Tartarus. He had a few contacts he'd been putting off in favor of devoting time to all matters concerning the pathfinder. He couldn't delay them any longer, however, without losing or damaging the trust he'd built with them. So Reyes dutifully devoted the rest of the day hammering out details and agreements for parts and equipment smugglers and scavengers were bringing in from Elaaden. Reyes' hands were all over any new equipment brought to the port. Most traders often preferred to sell to him due to his reputation and more honorable dealings. Once sellers began to prefer his business over Sloane and her minions taking what they pleased, or giving fractions of an item's worth, they started to save their best stock solely for him and his representatives. The Charlatan made sure his Collective base and his people had what they needed, and there was always room for improvements. Anything they didn't use or need was passed on to other interested buyers.

It was late when Reyes finally returned to his apartment. It wasn't large or extravagant by any means but it was clean and well furnished, if a little sparse. The important thing though was that the small refrigerator unit was always stocked with the best alcohol he could get his hands on. He grabbed a bottle and poured a drink. He lounged comfortably on his couch and sipped the amber liquor slowly, his eyes closed—thoughts constantly drifting to a certain young man. A young man with the most beautiful, soul-bearing eyes Reyes had ever seen.

Yet, there was still so much hidden in those depths. Reyes knew he'd told Ryder he could wait however long it took, but knew without a doubt it would be the hardest wait of his life.

He took another long sip of alcohol, let it splash flavor on his tongue before swallowing, savoring the slow burn down his throat. Before long his tired eyes began to droop and just as the thought that he should get some sleep entered his head, his omni-tool flashed with an incoming call. It was from Colt Dalton, the man he'd assigned to watching over the Tempest while it was in port. Who better than the dock master? Reyes had made it clear that there was to be no correspondence between them unless something changed.

The smuggler's expression darkened as he answered the call. If anyone had been foolish enough to try to harm the pathfinder or his ship...

"What happened?" Reyes growled.

"Yeah, so the Tempest is gone," Dalton said in that bored, unconcerned drawl of his.

"What?"

He had expected many scenarios, but not that one. At first he wasn't sure he'd heard correctly. Scott had made it clear that he intended to go forward with fixing the monoliths here. He'd spoken like he fully intended to remain on Kadara for some time.

"Yeah, that Harper lady who's been standing watch got a message—looked important by her reaction. Couple hours later they took off."

"Where were they headed?" Reyes tried to sound nonchalant even as something twisted in his gut. The pathfinder was a man in very high demand. It shouldn't surprise him that his mission on Kadara was interrupted, but it bothered him. Not to mention the reasons for being called away so suddenly were likely dangerous, possibly deadly.

"No clue," Dalton said. "Just left real quick once they were all onboard again."

"Fine. Let me know the _moment_ the Tempest docks again."

"Will do—"

Reyes disconnected with an angry swipe of his hand. He knew he didn't have a right to expect a goodbye or explanation—yet, but he still felt a little jilted. He downed the rest of his glass in one large gulp and quickly typed out a message to one of his most trusted hackers. He wanted to know what kind of trouble his handsome pathfinder was getting into.

—tbc


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6

Reyes watched the hacked news vid from the Nexus with a proud smirk. The human pathfinder had very recently returned to the station triumphantly with the Leusinia limping in tow. The buzz and chatter all over the Initiative concentrated on the heroic battle for the Asari ark that Ryder and his team went through to bring the 12,000 lives remaining onboard back to safety. Reyes' hacker friend intercepted many of the most pertinent vids, including those displaying the live feed of the Leusinia's arrival on the Nexus and interviews from the crew and Ryder himself. Reyes then had the vids hacked into the media stream on Kadara so that the pathfinder's victory was displayed on every screen in the port.

He stood on the edge of a large crowd watching the expressions of the people as they in turn watched a large public display screen in the market. The new asari pathfinder, a young pretty thing named Vederia Damali was being interviewed. Reyes couldn't help but feel a warm pride bloom in his heart as Vederia retold of how Scott had taken the dire situation into his own hands and provided the ark's crew with the means to not only protect the ship from the kett onslaught, but also restore power so the ark could escape into FTL. Reyes had seen and heard all the reports, interviews and stories already, but he needed to gage the public's reaction. His mission to gain Ryder favor with the people of Kadara continued and, he felt, was of significant importance. The uprising occurred because the Nexus authority failed to provide a game plan when things went wrong and people lost faith that they could or would do anything to correct the disastrous situation. If they could witness Ryder's successes across Heleus, if they could see the damn near miracles he was performing, Reyes was confident hatred for the pathfinder and the Initiative could be dissolved. In turn, people like Kelly Sloane would lose their power and influence. There would finally be an alternative for the desperate citizens in the port and in the badlands and only fools would choose to continue to follow a tyrant like Sloane. Her little empire would crumble around her ears and Reyes wanted to be there when it did.

After hanging around a while longer he determined the overall attitude of the crowd was positive, even hopeful in the case of many individuals not involved with either the Collective or Outcasts, including the local Angara. The vids had been running off and on for a few days now, and yet the people couldn't seem to get enough of it. Everywhere Reyes went there were groups and crowds gathered around public viewing screens, or individuals sitting in Kralla's Song their drinks forgotten as they aptly watched on their omni-tools. Reyes couldn't be happier with the way his plans were progressing. Especially since Sloane was pissed. The vids were casting a positive glow on the Initiative, which she now hated, and Ryder, whom she cared very little for after their first meeting. People were talking, questions were being asked. Sloane's hold over them was still firm, but it would soon begin to slip.

A new message gently pulsed on his omni-tool and Reyes opened it up. It was from his hacker friend.

 _Added a new vid to the loop. Actual footage from the Leusinia._

 _You won't be sorry._

— _Jaded_

Reyes' heart sped up a little. He had pre-approved everything they were showing to the people of Kadara. He didn't much like or appreciate surprises in his plans. Just as he was replying he heard the current vid fade out and looked up in time to see the screen fizzle out only to snap back to a clear image of a hallway on what Reyes assumed must be the Leusinia. The footage followed Scott and his small team as they fought their way through the ark. Jaded must have pieced the footage together from dozens of surveillance cameras to show the pathfinder's progress through the most dangerous battles to free the ark. Reyes found himself staring in awe like everyone else in the suddenly much larger crowd as the cameras showed the pathfinder, Harper, and an asari hold a biotic shield to protect the ark from a barrage of missiles from a large kett warship. The three of them stood unflinching in the compromised hull facing down the incoming fire.

The image was clear enough that Reyes could see the pathfinder's muscles strain beneath the armor mesh against the powerful explosions to the shield. Harper fell to her knees once beneath the sheer force but regained her feet quickly. The three biotics started to bend under the strain, but just as it began to look hopeless blue lightning burst from Ryder, sizzled around him and then lanced out all through their biotic sphere. This time when they pushed forward again their shield exploded outward away from the ark. Many missiles exploded on the sizzling shield's surface, but many more were deflected back to the enemy. Cheers went up in the port as fiery explosions impacted against the kett ship. The kett had stopped firing when they must have realized their mistake, but the damage was done. In their arrogance they'd fired an entire arsenal at the Leusinia, an arsenal that was now returning home without prejudice.

The footage ended with a large explosion that utterly destroyed the enemy just as the ark escaped into FTL. Reyes breathed a sigh of relief when the screen went black before returning to the loop of vids. Even though he knew Scott was safe, he'd hardly been able to breathe those last minutes of the battle. Another message pulsed on his omni-tool and he couldn't help but smile as he read: _Told you you wouldn't be sorry..._

Looking around at the celebrating going on in the market, Angara and Initiative exiles alike, Reyes had to agree.

As Reyes walked away from the jovial noise to return to the slums, he returned a message of his own.

 _Don't ever do that again without my approval._

 _But I will let it slide just this once._

— _C_

He smirked at the immediate irreverent response as he stepped into the lift. He'd known Jaded too long to take it seriously, and he was suddenly in an exceptionally good mood. He needed to be careful if he planned to conduct any more business. He might let just about anything slide today.

* * *

Scott took advantage of his short stay on the Nexus to go see his sister. He knew nothing had changed, Dr. Carlisle kept him well informed of Sara's condition, but it helped him sort through things sometimes just to be in her company. He'd just come from speaking to Cora about Sarissa. Onboard the Leusinia, after one tiring battle after the other, they'd uncovered a recording of Pathfinder Ishara's final moments. Turns out Sarissa abandoned her Pathfinder to her death in order to chase after some kett navigational charts. Cora had been devastated. It was only too obvious to see a part of the strong woman break in that moment. It made Scott angry. Sarissa was all Cora could talk about. She idolized the asari commando to a degree that flirted with godhood. To discover that Sarissa had abandoned her one true mission—to keep her pathfinder safe—was disgraceful, dishonorable. The discovery that her theft of the charts had caused the kett to send an elite hunter team known as the Decimation—that so much more destruction to the ark and countless deaths were a direct link to Sarissa's actions, was unredeemable.

When the time came to make a choice—turn Sarissa in, or keep her actions secret—one look at Harper's face, Scott never doubted what needed to be done. Though he doubted he had a right to make that decision—after all, his own pathfinder, his father, was dead because of him— _someone_ had to make the call. From the look on Cora's face afterward, it was clear she was eternally grateful she didn't have to make it. Vederia was young and inexperienced, she hadn't even completed her training, but she was next in line for pathfinder and she took up the mantel with nervous enthusiasm. Scott liked her almost immediately. He saw a lot of himself in her, and knew from personal experience that lacking pathfinder training was not exactly a bad thing. It just required more work.

During his conversation with Harper after all the hubbub had died down a little, she told Scott she couldn't have made the decision that would forever disgrace her idol, who really had done so much good in her years of service and combat—that she was sure now Scott had been the right choice for pathfinder, though Cora had been next in line for the succession.

It felt good to have the powerful biotic's complete trust at last. It was hard-earned, but Scott hadn't expected anything less from Harper. With that, and the great victory of the Leusinia's return to the Nexus, Scott was finally feeling like a real home could be made in this treacherous galaxy that was fighting them every step of the way.

When Scott entered the med bay near the cryo facilities, Dr. Carlisle greeted him with a warm smile, asked if he needed anything and then made himself scarce to give Scott some privacy with his sister. It was a long time since he'd been on the station and so there was a lot to fill her in on. Whether Sara could hear him or would remember anything he said was unclear, but it was therapeutic in a way to tell someone the work he was doing from his personal opinion and not on some cold-hearted official report. Lexi wanted to be the one he unloaded to for mental health and evaluation purposes, but he wasn't comfortable with that. At least the doctor didn't argue too much when she realized that what Scott was doing was helping him.

Scott unloaded everything on his sister like he would if she were awake. As he spoke he realized just how long it had been since he last saw her—the day he lied to her about their father—and he silently vowed not to let so much time pass between them again. When his tale led to Kadara Port, Scott paused, suddenly unsure what to say about Reyes Vidal, the smuggler who was successfully turning Scott's brain to mush and toying with his heart without even having to try. However, this was exactly the topic his sister would want to hear and would have endless advice for if she could give it, so Scott trudged on with embarrassing honesty and grateful that no one in the med bay was near enough to hear him.

No one bothered Scott when he visited Sara. Even Director Tann knew that was in bad taste unless there was an emergency. So it was hours before he finally emerged from the medical bay. Somehow he felt better. Simply speaking out loud about Kale helped. In turn it made his thoughts about Reyes a little clearer. Scott still had some meetings to attend while he was on the station, but in the meantime some of his crew had invited him to the Vortex Lounge for drinks and relaxation. Maybe even a game of poker with Gil. Then they would be departing the following morning. Their destination was Kadara. The planet's monoliths still needed to be reset and Scott found himself very grateful for an excuse to return to the port.

When Scott entered the bar a roar of cheering erupted over the bass of the music. The Vortex was packed with citizens of the Nexus who were in the mood to celebrate the rescue of the asari ark. Scott was immediately swarmed by excited party-goers. Despite his desire for quiet conversation over some of Dutch's newest mixed drinks, Scott would be lying if he said he wasn't having a good time. All night people congratulated him. People he'd never met or only seen in passing were buying him drinks, wanting him to dance, wanting to hear for the hundredth time the tales of his _adventures._ He had also received more than a few propositions to "get outta here and have some real fun". Although flattering, as time wore on, it became a bit overwhelming. His crew members knew him better than anyone there and could see when he'd reached his limit. A few glares from Harper, and growled threats from Drack and Scott eventually found himself in a quieter corner of the lounge surrounded by those he knew he could call his friends.

"Well, Ryder," Gil put a hand on his shoulder with a smirk. "How does it feel to be the hottest thing on the Nexus?"

Scott scoffed, but there was a small smile turning up his lips even when he tried to stop. It just felt too damned good to finally have such a victory under his belt. The asari population in their new home was secure. Many were lost, but Vederia was leading expeditions to track down the missing escape pods that very moment and hopes were high that they would find even more survivors. Scott took a long swallow of his beer and just enjoyed listening to the music and the banter of his crew. If felt good to know he could take a moment to remember what he was fighting for, knowing that there was another he could depend on to keep up the fight.

The next morning Scott woke early to attend his last meeting with Director Tann and the other figureheads on the Nexus. Tann tried to coerce him into wasting time trying to track down the turian ark, the Natanus. The salarian wanted another big victory, wanted to keep their momentum going, but Scott knew it was a waste of time. He didn't want to let other worlds and the exiles trying to survive them waste away while he and his crew burned through resources trying to find a ship they had no leads on. It made no sense to ignore those in desperate need right in front of them. Scott told the leaders exactly that knowing that ultimately the choice was his. They knew they couldn't stop the pathfinder without attracting unwanted hostilities in the already fragile community aboard the Nexus. Scott just had to hope that in his journeys to help their golden worlds he learned something of the fate of their remaining missing arks.

SAM alerted his crew of the desired departure time. It was merely a courtesy reminder. He knew his crew was already prepared and anxious to get back out there. The Nexus was enormous—it shouldn't feel so claustrophobic—but there was something so satisfying, so freeing about having their own ship and being able to go whenever and wherever they needed.

Scott went straight to the Tempest after his meeting. He knew where he wanted to go and the thought of going back there made his stomach flutter. He wandered into his bedroom and settled on the edge of his bed. After a moment of quiet thinking he made up his mind. He opened his Omni-tool and typed out a message:

 _Reyes_

 _I apologize for leaving without warning, a crucial matter came up that left no_

 _room for hesitation. However, I am returning to Kadara to attempt to reset the_

 _planet's monoliths._

Scott held his breath a moment as he contemplated whether or not to write the next line.

 _Perhaps we could meet for drinks?_

— _Scott_

He let out his breath in a rush and tapped 'send' before he could talk himself out of it. Thankfully he didn't have to wait long before he heard the soft ping of a response.

 _All is forgiven, pathfinder. I will hold you to those drinks._

— _Reyes_

Scott couldn't help the smile that slowly spread across his lips. After several minutes of quiet contemplation he reached over and picked up his acoustic. His deft, nimble fingers plucked an upbeat melody from the taut nylon and bronze-wrapped strings.

When his crew boarded the Tempest an hour later to prepare for departure, Scott was still playing, a gentle smile none of them had ever seen before still on his lips.

—tbc


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter 7

Reyes was poring over shipping manifests in his private lounge in the Tartarus. Business was picking up. Exiles on Eledaan were becoming more and more desperate and as a result they were more determined to scavenge materials to sell to the smugglers who traveled between the two planets. It didn't necessarily make him feel good to know that his success was at others' expense, but for now this was how it had to be.

Reyes smiled when the message from Scott came in. He couldn't help it. He felt almost giddy knowing that the handsome pathfinder was thinking of him. He certainly wanted more than drinks, but one step at a time.

Mere minutes after he responded to Scott another message came in from one of his men. After reading Reyes threw his nearly empty bottle of cheap beer against the lounge wall. It shattered on impact, amber liquid and glass shards dripping down to the floor. He paced angrily as he thought about his next step.

Zia Cordier was truly a thorn in his side. Possibly a very dangerous one. Not a day went by that Reyes did not regret his involvement with the conniving woman. She was brilliant, yes. A master at deception, a skill Reyes had admired her for. A beautiful temptress to be sure. He certainly knew why he had let himself be drawn into her bed. But Zia was a thousand percent out for herself. Not a thing in the world would stop her from betraying her closest friend, if she had any—nothing could cause her any amount of hesitation slitting a lover's throat in the very bed they shared if the price was right. Not an ounce of loyalty or sentiment existed in her heart, and it was not long before Reyes understood the enormous mistake in putting any trust in the woman. He couldn't help but wonder how she had fooled the psychological analysis every member of the Initiative went through before they were even considered for a place in Andromeda. Not that any of that mattered now. She was here and she had just jammed a huge rock in the gears of one of his contracts.

He couldn't put it off any more. He needed to deal with Cordier now. He glanced down as a new message pinged in from Scott Ryder with an estimated time of the Tempest's arrival.

Reyes' expression softened. He desired nothing more than some time with the pathfinder but it looked like business was going to have to come first, again.

* * *

Reyes rapped his knuckle on the counter of the bar in Kralla's Song. Umi rolled her eyes before pouring him another drink, then quickly turned away so she wouldn't have to engage in conversation. Not that Reyes cared. She was not the one he wanted to speak to. Reyes was nervous about the upcoming conversation, an emotion he would not normally admit even to himself let alone anyone else. He felt like a special kind of asshole using the human pathfinder for his own personal business. It made him feel like everyone else—the leaders of the Initiative especially. It made his flesh crawl in an extremely unpleasant way.

"You look like you're waiting for someone."

The frown in Reyes' expression melted away, his eyes slid closed as he relished the resonant tone of the man he'd agonized over for weeks. A flutter of butterflies in his stomach instantly quickened his heartbeat. With a steadying breath Reyes opened his eyes and turned with a smile.

"That's my line," he said with a wink, his heart skipping a beat when his eyes met Scott's and the man smiled in return.

Scott moved to lean against the bar next to him facing Reyes. The smuggler swallowed as he drank in the sight of the beautiful man in his clean, close-fitting uniform, for the hundredth time hating himself for what he was about to ask.

"It's good to see you, Ryder."

"Likewise," Scott said, shifting a little, a look of nervousness flashing briefly in his colorful eyes. Scott glanced down at the drink. "You started without me," a touch of amusement laced the comment.

Reyes chuckled. "I, uh, must apologize profusely, Ryder. A touch of bad business has come up. There is something I must take care of before I can enjoy your company." He watched with a touch of sadness as the pathfinder's expression closed off, hating himself all over again. "Something I could really use your help for."

Scott looked away to watch the other patrons of the bar, not really seeing them. "Don't you have plenty of people on your payroll who could go with you?"

"No one that I would trust with this." Reyes reached up and gently touched Scott's jaw to turn his attention back to him. When those soul-bearing eyes met his Reyes stepped closer, lowering his voice. "Believe me, Scott. You have no idea how much I am cursing my luck right now."

Scott swallowed, very aware of Reyes' touch—missed it the moment those fingers slid away. Scott studied the other man a moment before sighing out an amused breath. "All right, Reyes. But you owe me big time."

Reyes' smile was genuine. "You're one person I will happily owe something."

Scott cleared his throat. "So, what's happened?"

Reyes sighed loudly. "A business rival, Zia Cordier, lifted cargo I was moving for a client."

"Mm, what did she steal?"

"No idea. Client paid extra for privacy. Considering my fees, it must be valuable."

Scott's scarred eyebrow raised in surprise. "You didn't check?"

Reyes feigned hurt, his bottom lip pouting just a tad. "Honor's got a price and the client paid it."

"Mm-hmm, and how'd this rival get a hold of the cargo?"

Reyes smiled, slightly embarrassed. "Her usual tactics. She got my middleman drunk, then stole his ship." Scott scoffed. "Yes, it's hard to find good help these days." Truth be told Reyes was surprised his man's throat hadn't been slit, which was Zia's usual tactic, but he didn't tell Scott that. "When Zia's in Kadara she always stops here, so I figured we could," he raised his voice, "ask Umi if she knows anything."

The irritated bartender stopped in front of them with a dramatic sigh. "What do you want now?"

"Information," Reyes said, his voice smooth with his usual charm.

Umi folded her arms across her chest. "That will cost you more than a round of drinks."

"You know I'm good for it," Reyes gave her his best smile. She rolled her eyes.

"What do you wanna know?"

"Zia Cordier, she been around recently?"

"You mean your ex? Yeah, she was here."

Reyes inwardly winced. Out of the corner of his eye he saw Scott turn to him.

"Ex? As in girlfriend?"

There was a hint of hesitancy in Scott's voice that Reyes didn't like. He smiled brilliantly at the pathfinder and spoke in a teasing tone, hoping to glide right past that subject. "Girlfriend is such a strong word. We had drinks occasionally..." he cleared his throat and turned back to Umi. "So, she was here?"

He could still feel Scott's eyes on him.

"Yeah, met with a salarian. Shifty guy I'd never seen before. Maybe it was the Charlatan," Umi's voice took on a mocking tone.

"Anything's possible," Reyes said, amused. "You happen to overhear their conversation?"

"They were planning to meet someone at Spirit's Ledge."

Reyes winked at the asari. "Thanks, Umi."

"Whatever," the bartender said already walking away. "You didn't hear it from me."

Reyes turned back to the pathfinder who was studying him with that intense gaze that made his heart hammer in his chest.

"You want to go to the meeting spot and I'll check out the Collective lead?" Reyes forced a smirk. "I doubt Zia was meeting the Charlatan but you never know."

"Is this about getting your cargo back, or one-upping an ex?" Scott asked, no joking tone present.

Reyes chuckled, trying to laugh it off—trying to show Scott without saying as much, that Zia meant nothing. "Ryder, are you jealous?"

"Just answer the question."

"It's about the cargo," Reyes held Scott's gaze, sobering his tone. He didn't want to lose his chance with the man for anything, especially not over a misunderstanding with the piece of garbage that was Zia. Reyes straightened and stepped closer to Scott until they were practically breathing the same air. "I swear it," he said, holding that colorful gaze.

Scott eventually nodded and Reyes stepped back because if he didn't he would claim that beautiful mouth with his own. The time for that would come.

"I'll work my contacts." Reyes' fingers slid lightly up Scott's bicep. "Give me a call when you reach the meeting spot?"

"All right," Scott nodded with a small smile. "But you really owe me, you know."

Reyes smiled with a wink. "Oh, I know."

* * *

Scott heaved a frustrated sigh as he emerged from the bar. His multi-colored eyes roved over the faces in the crowded marketplace. He hadn't failed to notice that the demeanor of the people toward him and his crew was very different since his last visit. Many talked to him willingly, openly. Others offered him discounts at their stalls. A few had even offered to take him out for drinks. Dislike and distrust was still palpable with the general public, but individually he could see almost a 180 degree change. It was encouraging to see. He wished he could enjoy it, but his thoughts were on the damned smuggler who had just managed to wriggle out of their not exactly date.

"SAM," he said, walking back to the docks.

"Yes, pathfinder."

"Tell Drack and Liam to suit up. There's been a change in plans."

* * *

Scott drove the nomad over the rough terrain following the coordinates Reyes sent him. Next to him Liam hummed a tune under his breath while keeping an eye on the passing scenery. Drack's hulking body took up the entire back seat. The old krogan passed the time unloading and reloading his shot gun, occasionally checking the sight. Scott listened absently to SAM's suggestions on routes to reach the hideout base nestled among the cliffs of Spirit's Ledge. Something about it didn't quite feel right. He had already convinced himself that this feeling he had was nothing to do with the fact that the cargo saboteur was Reyes'... whatever she was. That had certainly been a surprise, but Scott was not so naive or ridiculous to think that a man like Reyes wouldn't have old flames. Especially in the situation the outcasts had found themselves in, who wouldn't have sought company with others? There was something else nagging at him, but the more he thought about it the more elusive it became. The secrecy of the cargo contents bothered him. What was it? Who on Kadara could casually pay the fees Reyes charged for secrecy since the funds were indeed substantial? What cargo would require such secrecy to begin with? Undoubtedly something incredibly dangerous, in which case Scott would have to involve himself in more than just helping Reyes recover the goods.

What if it was something else altogether? What if it had nothing to do with the cargo and more to do with the person or persons responsible for the cargo?

Scott let out a heavy breath. He didn't know anything. His imaginations were likely making the situation a hundred times worse than it was. Still, he didn't like it. The scenery blurred by virtually unnoticed as his thoughts swirled. Eventually, SAM's voice broke through on all their comms.

"ETA 5 minutes."

Scott blinked, refocusing on the road as Drack grunted his approval from the back seat. "Thanks, SAM."

* * *

Scott parked the nomad in the shadows of a rocky overhang and the trio covered the remaining distance on foot, weapons at the ready. As they drew close Scott was pleasantly surprised to see Reyes waiting for them.

"Funny seeing you here," Drack rumbled, eyeing the smuggler with one green crocodile-like eye.

Reyes smirked. "The salarian Umi mentioned wasn't associated with the Collective. Likely a smuggler Zia hired to move the cargo once she'd taken it." Reyes smiled at Scott. "Anyhow, I'd rather be here for the unveiling. My contacts have observed little movement here, which tells me it is likely a holding place for stolen cargo."

Liam looked skeptical. "Wouldn't there be posted guards? If the cargo were so important, I mean."

Reyes shook his head. "Not necessarily. Activity draws unwanted attention. The lack of security tells scavengers there's nothing to steal. It," Reyes shrugged, "doesn't always work, but out here risks are sometimes the only options."

Scott pursed his lips, eyes turning to scan the area around the base. It certainly appeared to be devoid of life, but he'd learned early on that could be a deadly mistake. "Only one way in?" Scott directed his question to Reyes as he scanned the front of the base that appeared to be built into the cliff-face.

"As far as I know."

"All right." Scott lifted his assault rifle again and after a few short commands to his team he led them inside.

They did a quick sweep of the base for people. Scott didn't feel any better about not finding anyone. It simply strengthened the feeling that something wasn't right. Reyes, however, went straight for the cargo crates. After breaking into the first one, Scott watched the man from a distance frown as he gazed inside.

"What's the matter?"

Reyes moved onto the next, his frown deepening.

"They're empty," he said, getting to his feet with a bewildered expression.

Suddenly all of Scott's uneasy thoughts came together. Reyes was a top dog in the smuggling world of Kadara, a business that was unfortunately necessary and highly competitive.

"What if this was all just an elaborate trick to get you here?"

Understanding washed over Reyes' face as he stared at Scott.

"You mean there was never any cargo, of course." The smuggler's expression became pained, almost defeated.

"Bravo," a woman's accented voice echoed into the base. Scott and his companions turned as one, weapons raised and trained on an armor-clad woman as she sauntered casually toward them. Scott's eyes darted around behind her trying to determine where she might have come from.

 _SAM, can you see anything?_ Scott asked on their private connection.

 _An electromagnetic field is blocking my scanners, pathfinder._

 _Shit._

"I knew you'd figure it out eventually," the woman continued, stepping into the light, her sultry gaze entirely focused on Reyes.

Scott couldn't help the flush of jealousy that squeezed around his heart. This must be Zia Cordier—Reyes' ex-lover—and she was very beautiful. Flawless bronzed skin wrapped over a generously curved figure. Her fiery red hair and olive green eyes were striking in the light. Scott suddenly felt self-conscious about the burned scar permanently marring the skin over his eye.

Reyes stepped up next to Scott glaring daggers at the newcomer. "Zia," he growled.

"You never could resist a huge payout," Zia sneered.

Reyes huffed a laugh, although he was anything but amused. "What can I say? I'm a greedy man."

"That's why you don't have any friends," Zia's eyes grew cold. "You're a selfish bastard."

Scott became angry at the accusation. Perhaps Zia knew the man better than he did, but everything he'd witnessed about Reyes told him the man had a heart and, possibly more importantly, a conscience. He found himself speaking before he realized.

"Reyes is a better man than you know." Out of the corner of his eye he saw Reyes turn to look at him and he fought the flush that heated his skin. He concentrated on keeping his gun aimed at the woman. Her expression melted into a pitying pout as she turned her attention to Scott for the first time.

"Oh, honey," her tone dripped with mock sympathy. "You have _no_ idea how wrong you are." She smirked, taking in Scott's appearance. "But you will."

Reyes stepped forward, all joking instantly gone. "Leave him out of this." His voice was a low, dangerous rumble that Scott had to strain to hear.

Zia appeared surprised for a moment, her eyes gliding back over to Scott with an all new interest that lingered far longer than he liked. "You must _really_ like this one, Reyes."

"Cut the _shit_ ," Reyes snapped. "What's this all about?"

Her eyes finally slid back to Reyes. "You've been taking all the good jobs in Kadara, not to mention buying up all the good merchandise coming in. It's attracted far more than just _my_ attention."

"So what?" Reyes huffed. "The local smuggling union got together and decided to take me down?"

Scott heard the pounding of many armored footsteps approaching from all sides.

"Something like that," Zia purred, pulling her weapon out from behind her back looking quite pleased with herself.

"Shit," Reyes and Liam cursed at the same time, and Drack chuckled as soldiers surrounded them.

"Take them out," Zia raised her voice.

Scott acted immediately. He activated his biotic implants to create a barrier around himself and his companions just as dozens of shots rang out. Scott turned and grabbed Reyes' arm as he and his companions raced to the far side of the room to take cover behind some metal crates. Scott crouched with his back against the smooth metal siding and cursed under his breath. The only exit he knew of was behind him with dozens of angry armed smugglers between them.

* * *

Reyes met Scott's gaze when they both realized the only escape was through Zia and her men. Reyes forced a smile.

"I apologize for getting you into this, pathfinder."

"And leave you to face that psycho bitch alone?" Scott smiled back.

Reyes opened his mouth to answer when he heard Zia's enraged scream.

"He's a fucking biotic, take him out first!"

Reyes' blood ran cold imagining his worst fears. Beside him Scott suddenly seized up in pain, blue-white electricity sizzling around his body. He dropped his weapon to grab his head in agony.

" _Scott_ ," Reyes reached for him when a deafening shot fired behind him.

"Got it," Liam said, still looking down the scope of a sniper rifle. "Bastards tried to use a dampener."

Reyes turned his attentions back to Scott. The pathfinder's eyes were squeezed shut in pain and when Reyes gripped his hands he could feel them trembling in convulsions through the armored gloves. Drack and Liam kept the enemy occupied around them, but he and Scott might as well have been the only ones there for all the attention Reyes paid them.

"Scott," he tried again, the pain and regret he felt for getting the pathfinder involved in all this was evident in his voice. His fear that someone would attempt to take Ryder out with an illegal biotic dampener had now been realized and he knew it could have been a lot worse—knew it was possibly just the beginning. Everyone knew the pathfinder was a biotic, that was no longer a secret, if it ever was. Nothing would stop the enemies of the Initiative from carrying such devices—unstable and dangerous as they were—everywhere they went. This, he watched Ryder's body continue to shudder in convulsions, this he had never seen before. Normal biotic dampeners did not do this. He should have known Zia would have the means to get her filthy hands on one, or have one specially made for her use. He could hear her screaming orders at the men around her, all of them bent on killing this beautiful man in front of him. A man whose whole purpose and honest intention was to save them all, give them a home. Scott did not deserve this, and any who would have ill will toward him did not deserve the life the pathfinder was trying to give them.

A darkness swept over Reyes' face listening to her call for the pathfinder's head. He pulled the pistol from the holster on his thigh. He'd had quite enough of her. He closed his eyes and listened closely, pinpointing in his mind her location. Then in one fluid motion he stood, turned and fired a single shot. Zia's screaming cut short, casting the base in an eerie pause of silence. It was as if the world stopped spinning until her body hit the ground. Then all was chaos as the shooting resumed. Drack was in his element, laughing as he cut down one after the other of Zia's makeshift posse. Liam sniped off the rest. Soon it was over, no sound but an occasional growl from the krogan warlord as he kicked a body in disgust and Scott's uneven breathing.

Liam crouched in front of them. The expression on his face revealed he'd had no idea how serious the situation was until now. "SAM, what's wrong with him?"

No answer.

"Shit," Liam cursed under his breath. " _SAM_."

"My apologies. The dampener's field attacked not only Scott's implant but his nervous system as well. Immediate attention was required before it started a chain reaction that would have been irreparable."

"Since when do dampener's do that?" Liam looked horrified.

Reyes growled. "Since the scum down here have started experimenting with angara technology. Kett, too, when they can get their hands on it."

Scott groaned just then and Reyes hurried to help him sit up straight. The pathfinder winced and blinked a few times as if orienting himself. "Well," he said slowly. "That was unpleasant."

Liam chuckled nervously. Drack stomped over, took one look at Scott and narrowed his eyes but didn't say anything.

"You're all right?" Reyes asked, his gut felt like it was squeezed in a tight fist.

"I think so. SAM, what's the rundown?"

"No permanent damage was sustained, pathfinder. However, your system is in shock. It will take some time for the tremors to subside."

"Let's get the kid back to the doc," Drack rumbled, moving toward them like a lumbering mountain. Reyes was mildly surprised that the krogan was gentle and slow when he pulled Scott to his feet despite how angry he seemed to be about something. Reyes put his arm around Scott's waist from the other side and together they helped him toward the exit.

On the way they passed Zia's body. Reyes couldn't fight the impulse to look down at her. His bullet had struck true. Thick trails of blood ran down her pretty face from the bullet hole directly between her wide-open eyes. Something about seeing the blood pooling over those eyes he'd spent many nights looking into—before he knew the person she really was... He must have paused because Drack made an irritated sound. When they started moving again he felt Scott's trembling hand give his shoulder a comforting squeeze, and even though he knew he did not mourn her loss, he was grateful.

At the door Reyes stopped and gently pulled away from Scott even though his heart wanted him to remain at his side—to make certain he was safe. The look the pathfinder gave him was full of concern. Reyes felt a pang in his chest. How anyone could believe this man deserved to suffer or die was beyond him. Everything he'd seen and heard suggested Scott's concerns were always for other people and never for himself.

Reyes sighed heavily. "I knew I wasn't popular, but I never knew the other smugglers would team up against me. I am sorry for dragging you into this."

Scott offered him a small smile. "I don't get dragged anywhere I don't want to go, Reyes."

That made Reyes laugh. The innocent comment along with the honest and slightly less innocent glint in the pathfinder's eye...Reyes realized just how hard and how far he'd fallen.

"This probably isn't over," Scott said, glancing over his shoulder at the bodies. He turned back. "They might try again."

Reyes smirked. "Are you worried about me?"

He expected a smart remark, but was pleasantly surprised and touched when Scott looked him in the eye and said, "Yes."

"You can relax. I know they're coming now. They won't get the jump on me." Reyes looked back toward the empty cargo crates. "All that effort and no credits to show for it."

"Not everything is about credits," Scott said, still watching him, a kindness in his smile that made Reyes tingle all over.

"I know," he said. Then Reyes glanced away from that honest gaze, unable to look Scott in the eye when the next words slipped past his lips. "What you said back there, about me being a better man...thank you."

Scott shrugged because he had simply said what he knew to be true. "You're welcome."

Reyes sighed again. "I'm going to stay here and clean up this mess. Zia was a...piece of work, but it feels wrong to leave her out in the open like this." Scott nodded. "SAM," Reyes spoke to the AI but his eyes never left Scott's.

"Yes, Mr. Vidal."

"Take good care of the pathfinder, all right?"

Scott smiled.

"My number one priority is the safety and health of—"

"He gets it, SAM," Scott interrupted what would have possibly been a long automatic response of the AI's duties. Then to Reyes he said, "I'll catch you another time then. I'll be here for a while after all."

Reyes couldn't help the beaming smile on his face as he watched the pathfinder and his companions slowly make their way back to their nomad.

-tbc


End file.
